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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24110011">Tales Of Light And Blight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RySenkari/pseuds/RySenkari'>RySenkari</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Angst, Azura book club, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Future, Lumity, Peril, Romance, after the series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:00:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24110011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RySenkari/pseuds/RySenkari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Lumity Week 2020, this is a seven fic anthology that will chronicle the story of the human Luz and the witch Amity as they experience love, strife, and adventure across space and time, from the confines of Amity's secret library room, to their first kiss and first date, to their battles in the future. These stories will explore the possibilities of Luz and Amity's relationship, presenting just one of the many paths their story could take.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight/Luz Noceda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>416</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Next Chapter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 1 – Azura Book Club </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“The Next Chapter”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>O-O-O</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>It had been more than a month since Luz and Amity had begun their weekly Azura Book Club sessions in the secret alcove of the Bonesborough Public Library. They'd discussed their favorite moments from each of the five books of the series, and had become familiar not only with each other's favorite characters and moments, but with each other in general... after all, they couldn't spend ALL their time talking about </span>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Good Witch Azura</span>
  </em>
  <span>
    <span>.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>They'd laughed and argued and quizzed each other, and had grown quite close through their shared love of Azura and enthusiasm for magic. Even though their opinions on the books differed, sometimes greatly, they found plenty to agree on as well, and while both of them thought that they were a slightly bigger Azura fan than the other, they could also acknowledge that they were both serious Azura fans through and through.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>But after a month of meeting late into the night, talking about Azura and magic and home and everything else, they found themselves meeting with nothing to talk about at all... at least related to Azura. They'd discussed each of the five books in depth, debating the motivations behind Azura's defection from the Sapphire Sorcerers, or her anger at being rescued by her former friend Lyrica. They'd discussed their favorite ships (though both of them agreed, Azura and Hecate were made to be), they'd discussed their favorite spells (Luz favored the Firestorm spell and Amity favored the Absolute Zero Blizzard, which was ironic as the two of them specialized in the opposite type of magic), and they'd discussed their favorite books (Luz liked the fifth, while Amity preferred the third)... and now, as the two of them entered the secret alcove for the sixth time, they didn't know where to begin.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>So, uh... read any good books besides </span></span><em><span>Azura</span></em><span><span> lately?” asked Luz innocently, curious about what other long running works of fiction the Boiling Isles had to offer.</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Not unless you count the spellbooks Lilith's been having me study,” said Amity. “I love studying, but even I get sick of it after a while...”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>You, sick of studying? Pssssh, no way!”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Oh come on, you sound like Ed and Em when you say that. Just because I'm the best student at Hexside doesn't mean all I do is study, you should know that better than anyone! Too much studying doesn't leave me with time to do anything else, like catch up on other books... I barely made it in here today.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Luz felt a little bit guilty, even though she was only joking. She waved her hands in an apologetic manner, but Amity just smiled and shook her head, as if to say she wasn't offended.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>It's okay, Luz, I know you hardly ever see me without my face buried in a book.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Well, I hope Lilith eases up on you a bit,” said Luz. “Anyway, we've already talked about all the </span></span><em><span>Azura </span></em><span><span>books they've come out with so far, unless... unless you've got Book #6 lying around somewhere?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>I didn't even have book number five until you let me borrow your copy,” said Amity. “Actually, I was wondering if you knew where I could find it, but since you're asking me...”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Yeah... no luck on my end either. Book #5 is the most recent one to come out, and it's been like almost two years! I don't know what the author's been up to lately, but I hope the TV series they just announced doesn't go too fast, or it'll overtake the books!”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Wait... TV? That thing you told me about where you can see moving pictures of people?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Oh yeah, TV! I'll have to bring that one Eda has in her shop and... wait, I helped her sell that one. Oh, maybe my phone can...no, it's broken. Well, actually...”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Amity couldn't help but giggle at Luz's attempts to figure out where she could find this mysterious 'TV' to show her, but as Luz continued to verbally ponder, Amity reached over and placed a hand on hers, trying to calm her down.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>It's okay, you can show me whenever,” said Amity. “Anyway, I was thinking... since there's no sixth book out yet in either of our worlds, maybe we can talk about what we think might happen in the sixth book?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Oh, right! Speculation! I used to talk about that on the message boards back home! In fact, I started writing a fanfic about the sixth book, but I stopped a few chapters in because I didn't think it was very good and I don't want to get 'jossed', so I-”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>What's 'jossed'?” asked Amity.</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Uh... there's this guy named Joss Whedon, and... well, it has to do with TV, I'll tell you when we get a TV in here, but anyway, it's when you write a fanfic about the next part of a show... or a book, and then the book comes out and it's totally different and suddenly your fanfic is WRONG! And then a bunch of people come into your comments and are all like, 'that didn't happen, you're stupid!' and 'what are you going to do now that this character you wrote about is dead?' or 'too bad you put them together, that ship got totally sunk!'”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Amity giggled again... unable to resist smiling at Luz's dynamic energy and wishing she herself had that kind of enthusiasm, even about Azura. She herself had never written fanfic, though she might've if she had more time... but she could understand perfectly what Luz was talking about, and was curious about what she'd written.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Well, Luz, what did you write in your fanfic before you stopped? Maybe I could give you some feedback.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>You... want to read my fanfic?” asked Luz, blinking her eyes and smiling. </span></span><em><span>Wow... Amity wants to read my fic... this cute witch girl from a whole different world wants to read my fanfic! Oh man, what if she doesn't like it? Maybe I should just summarize it for her.</span></em></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Maybe you could summarize it for me?” asked Amity. “Your phone's broken, so you probably can't access it here, right?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz let out a quiet sigh of relief, glad that Amity (and her broken phone) had made the decision for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Okay, well as you know, at the end of book five, Azura and Hecate joined forces to take down the Demifiend and saved the City on the Lake from certain destruction. So at the start of my story, they're living together in Hecate's mansion.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Ah, Azura moved in? Surprised she trusts Hecate enough for that, even after what they went through.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Well of course she trusts her, they beat the Demifiend together! Plus, as we both know, they're totally sweet on each other. I didn't write their first kiss yet, but there's a lot of flirting!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled, while Amity blushed slightly, putting her hand to her cheek as she imagined Luz writing those cute scenes... and for a moment, thought of herself and Luz flirting the same way, though she quickly dismissed that thought from her mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>And what about the rebellion?” asked Amity.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Oh, Azura and Hecate are going to be joining the rebellion for real this time!” said Luz. “In fact, the very last scene I wrote was Azura sneaking into their rebel fortress in the hopes of joining.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity had a bit of a surprised look on her face as she listened to Luz continue to talk about her fanfic, and what she thought would happen in the sixth book of the series. As Luz spoke, Amity's face grew more and more skeptical.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>So Azura would be all sneaky, because she knows the rebellion is really on edge since Empress Shala's crackdown, and of course since she tricked them into helping her last time... it'll put her in a really vulnerable place, and- Amity, what's up? You look like you're kinda upset.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Upset? No, it's just... I don't think Azura and Hecate would join the rebellion at all. I think they'll be working with Shala to bring it down.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Really? Azura, working with the empress? Hecate maybe, but not after becoming friends with Azura. Don't you remember when Shala had those wizards arrested in book four?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Those wizards were plotting a terrorist act,” said Amity. “They were rightfully punished, which is why, if you remember, Azura declined to free them from prison.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Yeah, but Azura was distracted with Hecate's attack on the Desert of Dinah, she had to go stop that! I thought we talked about this a couple weeks ago!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I didn't want to bring it up then, but I did think your assessment of Azura's motivations at the time was a little bit inaccurate... then we got to talking about how cool Azura's fight with Hecate was and it didn't come up again.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>So wait...” said Luz, who now looked as skeptical as Amity had been when listening to Luz's theory about Azura joining the rebels, “...you think Azura is going to work with Shala to put down the rebellion?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I doubt she'll be as heavy handed as Shala would be if she was acting on her own, but yes, I do.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity looked quite certain of this, and she continued to speak, as Luz looked more and more distraught.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>In fact, I think Azura and Hecate both will begin working with Shala to find all the disparate tribes and unify them for the good of the empire. I think book six will mostly focus on putting down the rebellion... with some Azura and Hecate romance of course, and then book seven will probably focus on Shala's war with her sister Simera, the true architect behind all the discord in the realm.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Simera? Azura's mentor, Simera? Are we talking about the same Simera here?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Of course we are! Surely you haven't forgotten the time Simera stole the Staff of Kaymus, Shala's birthright!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>That staff was Simera's birthright, and a gift for Azura!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz couldn't believe what she was hearing from Amity, and conversely, Amity couldn't believe what she was hearing from Luz. As Amity continued to espouse her book six theories, listing all the reasons why she thought each rebel tribe deserved to be brought to justice, Luz felt like her friend had betrayed her. Sure, they had disagreed about the rebellion and its motives before, but Luz didn't think the disagreements ran </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>deep, and she certainly didn't think Amity could possibly support the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Empire</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity, the Empire are the bad guys, remember? I mean, sure, they do keep order, and some of the rebels have done some nasty things, but it's a war and that's what happens in war! You can't seriously be excusing the Empire's tyranny, can you?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Tyranny? Luz, without the Empire, there'd be chaos, and not even Azura and Hecate working together could put a stop to all of it!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>But the Empire bosses people around! They restrict people's freedoms! Where they can go, what they can do, what kind of magic they can use...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Uh, Luz, the Empire doesn't restrict anyone's magic,” said Amity.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Yeah they do, the Emperor's Coven-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Which Empire are we talking about, Luz?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Luz looked into Amity's eyes and saw the stern look on her face, she realized what she'd just said, and an uncomfortable feeling began to overtake her, like her stomach was twisting inside her body. She felt her face turn bright red, and tried to bring the conversation back to the books.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I um, I got confused, I just... of course I meant the books! But the Empire in the books doesn't restrict anyone's magic, you're right, silly me!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>...you were talking about the Empire of the Boiling Isles, weren't you?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz shrunk away slightly as Amity leaned in, continuing to glare a hole in her with her fierce looking eyes, and she could also see that Amity's cheeks were starting to redden up like they always did when she was upset. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I mean... sorta, maybe?” said Luz nervously. Not only was she worried that she'd just upset her friend, but in the back of her mind, she also worried that Amity might react even more strongly, considering how much people here seemed to admire the Emperor. </span><em><span>No... Amity wouldn't hurt me. Why am I even thinking that? We're friends, aren't we?</span></em></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Ugh, guess I should've expected that from someone who'd hang out with the Boiling Isles' most wanted criminal...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Hey!” shouted Luz, her courage returning as she stood up to defend Eda. “Eda might be a criminal, but she's a good person!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>If she was a good person, she would've joined a coven!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Why, so the Emperor can take all her magic away?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Not if she joins the Emperor's Coven! She could use her magic to protect the Boiling Isles, instead of... you know, pranks and stealing and crime and whatever she uses it for! Come on, Luz, do you think the Empire just wants to control everyone and boss people around?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Yes! At least... that's what Eda says it does, anyway. Look... I don't know much about how things are here... so I guess... I guess I don't have any right to say anything... but I still don't think it's right that the Emperor takes away people's magic! It's not right in the Azura books and it's not right in real life either!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity let out a sigh, and the anger faded slightly from her face. As much as she disagreed with what Luz said, Luz did have a point... she was only a human, and didn't know much about what happened on the Boiling Isles. She didn't know the stories about the chaos before the rise of Emperor Bellows, about the wars and the fear and the rulers who came before... she didn't know why the Boiling Isles needed the Emperor's Coven, how it needed the coven system to ensure the terrible violence that characterized life on the Boiling Isles before the Empire never happened again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least, that's what Amity had been told... all of that violence and strife had happened before she was born... before Lilith was born too. She'd heard the stories, but all she'd ever known was peace, a peace that she was taught came from the Emperor's benevolent reign.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Luz, it's okay... you're not the only one who disagrees with the Emperor,” said Amity, standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder. “And honestly... sometimes I don't always agree with him either. Not everyone here on the Boiling Isles agrees with the way things are. Don't tell her I told you this, but even Lilith has her disagreements with the Emperor. And as for Eda... I think she's kinda cool too. ...don't tell Lilith I said that either!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled, and smiled at Amity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Your secret's safe with me, Amity,” said Luz. “...but I meant what I said before, I don't think it's right that the Emperor's Coven are the only ones who can practice more than one type of magic... or that they lock people up in the Conformatorium... or that they're hunting down Eda.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Lilith has her reasons,” said Amity, “and so does the Emperor.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz looked down at her hands, then back up at Amity. She thought about the Azura books, and her fanfiction, and her theories... and about another theory she'd had when she'd been brainstorming ideas for her take on Book #6.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>When I imagined Azura teaming up with the rebellion... I imagined Hecate teaming up with the Empress... Azura and Hecate had become friends, maybe more, but then the rebellion intensified, and Azura joined one side, and Hecate remained loyal to Shala...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I see,” said Amity. “I imagined that Azura and Hecate would serve Shala together, but you're right, if Azura did join the rebels, I'm not sure Hecate could stay with her.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz and Amity were looking away from one another as they spoke, and hesitated to look back up. Neither wanted to say what they were sure the other was thinking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity, we're friends now, right?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Of course, Luz,” said Amity, putting her hand on Luz's shoulder again. Luz finally looked up, and the two smiled at each other, blushing as they looked into each other's eyes. “And I'm glad we're friends.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I'm glad we're friends too, Amity...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>And... Eda's also my friend,” said Luz, trying to keep herself from getting angry or sad as thoughts of what might happen continued to play within her head. “And I'm sure you and Lilith are good friends too, right?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity nodded, then bowed her head and sighed. She began to pull Luz closer, trying to fight back her emotions as Lilith's teachings started to echo in her mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don't show weakness. Uphold peace and order. The Emperor's Coven is your destiny.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Luz, whatever happens, I'll always be your friend.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity-”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity pulled Luz in and hugged her tightly, holding her close and for a few brief moments, blocking Lilith's voice out of her mind, while trying to remember the fun times she and Luz had been having and would hopefully continue to have for many, many more weeks to come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Don't worry about it, Luz...” said Amity quietly. “You've always walked your own path... just like Azura. I don't know what's going to happen, either to Azura or to us... all I know is I want to keep being your friend.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity parted from Luz, and Luz could see a tear coming down her friend's cheek. She gasped and reached to wipe it away, but Amity did it herself, taking a deep breath and trying her best to smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>You know, Luz... I think your theory might be right,” said Amity. “After what you said about Azura, I think you might be right, I think Azura's going to join the rebels in book six.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Really? I mean, she has always tried to uphold peace and order, and she put the smackdown on the rebels more than once, I could </span><em><span>kinda </span></em><span>see her helping Empress Shala, but I also think that in doing so, she could make Shala more open to changing some things about her reign!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Luz continued to theorize, she and Amity sat back down on the floor. Luz continued, telling Amity how Shala has been more flexible since the events of book four, and that she showed mercy to a group of rebels in book five, inspired by Azura and Hecate's newfound friendship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I think book seven is gonna be all about bringing the Empire and the rebels to the negotiating table, so they can sign a peace treaty!” said Luz excitedly. “They'll team up to fight an even more powerful evil that threatens the entire realm!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Think it'll be a villain from a previous book, like the Dread Warlock Mortanian, or a brand new force of evil?” asked Amity, leaning in excitedly.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>But I thought they killed Mortanian dead in book three?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>You don't think they </span><em><span>really </span></em><span>killed him off, do you? They never even found a body!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Ooooh, good point, but what about when Azura was tormented by his ghost later on?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>It might just be an astral projection,” theorized Amity. “Remember, in book five, Hecate found a spell signature that only Mortanian knows how to cast.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Mortanian </span><em><span>and </span></em><span>Simera,” corrected Luz.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Simera only cast a </span><em><span>variant </span></em><span>of Mortanian's signature spell, only Mortanian can cast the true Curse of Everlasting Torment! That's why Azura needed help to break out of it even though she could break out when she was training with Simera.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two girls continued to argue and theorize, too caught up in their discussion of Mortanian's mortality to drift back to the real life Empire that loomed over both of them as long as their mentors remained at odds. Though Luz and Amity both knew in the back of their minds that they might be brought into conflict in the future, they also appreciated the friendship they still had... and hoped that their friendship would hold strong through any trial it faced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as they finished their discussion and stood up to leave, Amity wanted to reassure her friend one more time that their bond was still as strong as it had ever been.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Luz, if you want to talk about things besides Azura... I'm here to listen. The Boiling Isles, the Emperor, Lilith, Eda, anything. I won't tell Lilith... I won't tell anyone. I promise.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity... I trust you,” said Luz, reaching over and hugging her friend again. “And look, whatever happens with Eda... I won't fight you.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>...I wouldn't hold it against you if you did,” said Amity. “I know what Eda's done for you. If it comes down to it-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>It won't,” said Luz. “And I won't fight you, no matter what.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I hope I don't ever have to give you a reason to, </span>
  </em>
  <span>
    <span>thought Amity. </span>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Because if it ever came to it, I know you would.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>Luz was the bravest, most determined person Amity had ever known... in real life or in fiction. As the two girls parted from their hug, Amity felt the weakness that Lilith had taught her so hard never to show.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I don't know if I could bring myself to stop you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Rich Girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 2 – Alternate Universe Swap </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“Rich Girl”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>Truth be told, Amity Blight's life thus far had been pretty nice. Her family was quite wealthy, and she'd never had to struggle for anything, and even though she sometimes got into fights with her twin siblings, or had to deal with school drama, she could take comfort in the fact that she'd never have to go without nice things, like her brand new phone or her trendy clothes, or the awesome new car she'd surely be getting in a couple of years for her Sweet Sixteen.</p><p> </p><p>And yet... her life was totally over! Ruined by her overbearing mother and pushover father, both of whom had agreed to send her to Goldstar Academy for an entire summer! No friends, no beach parties, no fun in the sun... just a whole summer of uniforms and studying and not knowing anyone, and then having to go right back to normal school when she got back home in August.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Cheer up,” </em><span>Em and Ed had told her. </span><em>“Goldstar's not so bad. We had to go two summers ago, and it sucked for a while, but we got through it. It's just something us rich kids have to do.”</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Well, I shouldn't have to do it, </em>
  <span>thought Amity, trudging across a long, grassy field on her way to the bus stop, awaiting the bus that would take her to Goldstar... and a summer of misery and boredom. </span>
  <em>Why can't I just have a normal summer before heading off to high school? Haven't I earned it? I've studied my butt off for nine years, and now you're shipping me off to cram school?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The only solace Amity had left was her phone, a Universal X20. Top of the line, state of the art, <em>very </em>expensive... and was, at the moment, streaming one of her favorite songs into her ears.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>At least I'll get to talk to my friends on the phone... </em>
  <span>thought Amity with a sigh. She held out her phone and got ready to text one of them... when suddenly, it was snatched away! “HEY!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A wayward owl had flown off with Amity's phone and was now carrying it deep into the nearby forest. Amity gave chase, running as fast as her feet would carry her, away from the bus stop and into the woods, desperate to get back the only thing that would keep her summer from becoming a living hell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Give that back, that phone cost my parents $1,300!” Amity shouted, suddenly swearing as her music got intolerably loud, caused by one of the owl's talons mashing the volume button. “Aaaagh, dammit!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity pocketed her earbuds and continued to run, just in time to see the owl disappear into some kind of glowing door. She stopped in her tracks, not believing what she was seeing. It looked like a door from one of her video games, or perhaps something out of her favorite novel series, </span>
  <em>The Good Witch Azora</em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Wait a minute, am I dreaming? </em>
  <span>thought Amity, blinking her eyes as she stepped up to the door and reached for the handle. </span>
  <em>No... no way am I doing this. Who knows where that door could lead?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity let out a long sigh. She must be dreaming. And, if she was dreaming, she was safe. Nothing beyond that door could hurt her... if it did, she'd just wake up in her own bed! Who knows, maybe this whole Goldstar thing was just a long, terrible nightmare, and once she awoke, she'd have her summer back!</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Here goes nothing...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She reached for the door and gripped the handle, opening it up and emerging into a vibrant town... full of mystical creatures and incredibly strange sights.</p><p> </p><p>“Now I know I'm dreaming...” Amity whispered to herself, looking around for any sign of the owl who'd stolen her phone. “Has anyone here seen an owl? Anyone?”</p><p> </p><p>The people milling about seemed to ignore her, though a few did stop for a moment to look at her strange, rounded ears, which were so unlike their pointy ones. She tried to get their attention, but they walked away from her, and she found herself paying more attention to the strangeness around her than she did to the people on the street.</p><p> </p><p>“This place is strangely horrifying...” said Amity as she continued to look around, observing weird bugs that tipped their hats to everyone passing by, fountains of a substance that looked like blood, houses that swayed as if they'd fall over at any moment, only to collect themselves, let out something that sounded like a drunken apology, sprout legs and walk away. “I've got to get out of here... but not until I get my-”</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Amity slammed into someone, and found herself falling to the ground, landing on her bottom and letting out a pained grunt. As she started to pick herself back up, she looked up and could see a pale woman with long, black hair looking directly at her.</p><p> </p><p>“A human...?” said the woman, blinking in surprise. “Been a long time since there's been a human on the Boiling Isles...”</p><p> </p><p>“The Boiling... what? Wait a second, did you just call me a human? What exactly are you...?” Amity stammered, looking the mysterious person up and down. They too resembled a human, save for the pointed ears sticking out the sides of their head. “You look human to me...”</p><p> </p><p>The woman laughed and put her hand to her mouth for a moment to stifle herself.</p><p> </p><p>“Me? A human? My dear, you're the only human here, and the first one to be here in a very long time. I know some people who would find you quite fascinating, but first let me ask you, how did you even get here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I came through a door, and... wait a minute, aren't you going to ask my name?”</p><p> </p><p>“I suppose that would be appropriate, though the fact that you're a human is far more significant than what your name is,” said the woman.</p><p> </p><p>“My name's Amity... Amity Blight, and I'm looking for my cell phone... do you know what a cell phone is?”</p><p> </p><p>The woman just continued to observe Amity, before extending a hand to her.</p><p> </p><p>“I'd like you to come with me,” she said, calmly but firmly. “My name is Lilith, and I can take you somewhere where you can learn all the answers you seek.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity looked at Lilith's outstretched hand with some suspicion, and began to recoil.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not sure I should be going with you,” said Amity. “I just came here to get my phone, and if you don't know where it is, I need to look somewhere else.”</p><p> </p><p>“It's not safe here for a human,” said Lilith. “I won't force you to come along, but I'm warning you-”</p><p> </p><p>A bright light overtook both Lilith and Amity, and the witch let out a loud scream as she was temporarily blinded.</p><p> </p><p>“What the....?” Amity stammered, turning to look for the source of the light. As she did, a girl emerged, clad in a cloak with a cat ear hood, and waving a small wand up in the air. Lilith let out another cry of pain, and pointed at the girl when she could finally see.</p><p> </p><p>“You little brat!” shouted Lilith, who started to pull a staff from her cloak. “How many times have I told you two not to come around here?!”</p><p> </p><p>“You don't wanna go with her, trust me!” said the cloaked girl, smiling at Amity. “Why not follow me, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>Before Amity could protest, the mysterious girl took her by the hand and began to run as Lilith fired a powerful spell from her staff. The spell missed the hooded girl completely and instead blew up a nearby market stall, prompting its owner to shout 'hey!' in an upset voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you taking me?!” said Amity, unsure of whether or not she wanted to be dragged along like this, but not really having much of a choice considering how upset their pursuer was.</p><p> </p><p>“Somewhere fun!”</p><p> </p><p>The two were soon able to evade the still partially blinded Lilith, and Amity found herself standing in front of another stall, one fully stocked with many items she recognized from her own world... while behind the counter stood a taller, older looking witch with wild grey hair and pointed ears much like Lilith's. The cloaked girl pulled down her hood, revealing ears that were just as pointy as the cat ears on her hood.</p><p> </p><p>“Eda, I found us a customer!” said the pointy-eared girl, finally releasing Amity's hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome to Eda's Human Collectibles!” said the older witch, excitedly displaying her latest wares. Amity gazed at the assembled curios, and though she was certainly surprised, and reeling from her impromptu run through the market, she wasn't exactly impressed.</p><p> </p><p>“This is all junk,” said Amity, placing her hands on her hips. “And now I'm no closer to finding my cell phone!”</p><p> </p><p>Eda just glared at Amity, not sure whether to punish her for her insult or to just sigh and move on to the next potential mark. Meanwhile, the girl who'd brought Amity over had a hurt look on her face, her eyes conveying a deep sadness.</p><p> </p><p>“Aw Luz, don't worry about it, she's not the first person who's called this stuff junk,” said Eda.</p><p> </p><p>“But I thought she'd like this human stuff, since, you know, she's a human,” said the girl, still pouting as she looked over at Amity. “And did you say you lost something?”</p><p> </p><p>“I lost my phone,” said Amity. “An owl snatched it up and brought it through a door, and when I followed it, I wound up in... this creepy place!”</p><p> </p><p>As Amity continued to rant, a small owl passed overhead with a sack full of items. She dropped the sack into Luz's hands, and Luz began sorting through it, while Amity, oblivious to what had just happened, kept on with her spiel, getting increasingly emotional.</p><p> </p><p>“I've already bumped into a really scary lady who's powerful enough to blow up a cart just like this one, and then you showed up and grabbed me, and now I don't know what's going on, and nothing makes sense, and I don't even have my phone, and-”</p><p> </p><p>“What's this thing?” said Luz suddenly, holding up Amity's prized Universal X20.</p><p> </p><p>“My phone!” shouted Amity, snatching it out of Luz's hands only for her hand to be immediately surrounded by a sphere of magic. “Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh-bup-bup, hands off my property, human,” said Eda, reaching over to take Amity's phone from her magically immobilized hand. “If you want this thing, you can buy it, and since I can see you <em>really </em>want it, I'll let it go for exactly 5,000 shells!”</p><p> </p><p>“But it's <em>mine</em>!” shouted Amity, trying to pry her hand free from its magical imprisonment. “You can't just steal people's stuff!”</p><p> </p><p>“Owlbert found it, so yeah, I can.”</p><p> </p><p>“He stole it right out of my hand!”</p><p> </p><p>“Aw Eda, don't be mean,” said Luz suddenly, grabbing the phone from Eda and handing it back to Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on, you <em>know </em>she was about to break down and buy it!”</p><p> </p><p>“Eda...” said Luz, glaring at Eda and putting her hands on her hips. Eda sighed, rolled her eyes, and relented, while also freeing Amity's hand. Amity immediately cupped both hands around her phone and held onto it tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I'm so glad I've got you again, you have no idea how worried sick I was...”</p><p> </p><p>While Eda raised an eyebrow and looked at Amity like she was insane, Luz just glared at Eda harder.</p><p> </p><p>“That thing is <em>clearly </em>her pet! How would you like it if someone snatched Owlbert away, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Like the time you tried to fly my staff and ran him into a tree?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz giggled nervously, while Amity continued to caress her phone and talk sweetly to it. However, she quickly came to her senses and tried to shake it off to regain some of her dignity. She turned away from the two of them and crossed her arms over her chest.</p><p> </p><p>“For your information, it's not my pet, it's a cell phone, and it can do all kinds of things,” huffed Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Like what?” asked Luz curiously, peeking over Amity's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Well...”</p><p> </p><p>Amity didn't know why she wasn't just bolting in the direction of the mysterious door she'd just come through, but this girl had been nice enough to lead her to her phone, if only inadvertently, and she didn't know if the scary black haired lady was still out there looking for her, so she decided instead to show Luz and Eda just why her phone was so special. She began to scroll through various apps, showing off the phone's features, and while Eda wasn't impressed, Luz was intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, like my scrolls!” said Luz, pointing out Amity's Instagram app. “I've got something just like that, it's called Penstagram, wanna see?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe later,” said Amity. <em>Not really.</em></p><p> </p><p>Amity found her music app and pushed play. “Rich Girl”, by Hall and Oates, began emanating from the phone's speakers.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You're a rich girl</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And you've gone too far</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Cause you know it don't matter anyway</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Oooh!” squealed Luz, who enjoyed the song enough to start swaying to it. “This is a bop!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You can rely on the old man's money</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You can rely on the old man's money</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“It's kind of an old song,” said Amity. “I like it, but my friends aren't really into Hall and Oates...”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It's a bitch, girl</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But it's gone too far</em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Cause you know it don't matter anyway</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Say money but it won't get you too far</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Get you too far</em>
</p><p> </p><p>As the chorus began to play, Luz began dancing back and forth, swaying her hips from side to side, closing her eyes, and rocking to the beat of the music. Eda, who'd gotten used to these spontaneous displays from her young apprentice, just smiled and tapped her hand on the counter to the beat, while Amity couldn't help but smile as well. She'd only just met Luz, and under some of the strangest circumstances of her life, but she couldn't help but find herself wanting to dance along with her, even if she wasn't nearly into the song.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Don't you know, don't you know<br/>
That it's wrong to take what is given you<br/>
So far gone, on your own<br/>
You can get along if you try to be strong<br/>
But you'll never be strong </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” said Luz as she finally stopped dancing. “That is <em>way </em>cooler than my scrolls. So... you're a human, huh? I've heard a lot about humans from my friend Gus, but he never told me anything about that phone! Actually, one time, this kid brought in a rock and said it was a phone, but Gus totally shut him down! Oooh, I bet he'd love to meet you! Mind coming to Hexside tomorrow and hanging out with me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Actually, I think I need to get back,” said Amity. <em>Back to life, back to reality... back to Goldstar. ...at least at Goldstar, there's no chance of me getting blasted with magic. This place is crazy... like Good Witch Azura level crazy. </em></p><p> </p><p>“Well, Eda can get you back if you want,” said Luz, looking over at Eda.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, for 5,000 shells,” said Eda with a smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“Eda!”</p><p> </p><p>“Look, kid, this booth's seen better days. This human might be pretty useful...”</p><p> </p><p>“Useful?!” said Amity, pointing across the counter. “You listen here, if you're the one who brought me here, you're the one who's gonna bring me back, right now!”</p><p> </p><p>“Make me,” replied Eda, leaning over the counter and raising a single finger. A ring of magic began to form around it, but before she could cast a spell, Luz interjected herself between the two of them.</p><p> </p><p>“Guys, there's no reason to fight over this...! Hey listen, maybe Eda's right... we've been needing some help, maybe you could help us out with one little thing?”</p><p> </p><p>Amity let out a sigh, looking at both Eda and Luz with a mix of annoyance and worry. She then looked down at her phone, seeing that she could still get a signal. Maybe she should call someone? The cops? Her parents?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No... I can't have them finding this weird place too, </em>
  <span>thought Amity. </span>
  <em>If somebody got hurt because of me, I couldn't forgive myself.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz could see that Amity was unsure, and gently led her away from Eda and the booth. Amity tried to pull away, not wanting to be dragged somewhere else by this weirdly enthusiastic girl, and Luz released her, gesturing toward an empty tent nearby.</p><p> </p><p>“It's okay, I just wanna talk...”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sighed, deciding to trust Luz, walking into the tent with her... but as soon as they were both alone, she wanted to make it clear that she would not be intimidated or pushed around, even with magic.</p><p> </p><p>“So what's the deal with this place, Luz?” asked Amity, gesturing to the strange magical artifacts strewn all over the tent, and pulling up the flap to briefly point out the weirdness outside. “I know it's called the Boiling Isles, but... what's going on here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well... the Boiling Isles is a place that's parallel to your human dimension, at least I think,” said Luz. “All of your human myths and legends are based on this place! We have magic, goblins, elves, witches, anything you humans think of as 'weird' is probably something from here! And in the meantime, a lot of people here carve out a living by selling weird human stuff!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>So that explains some things, but not everything... </em>
  <span>thought Amity, still wondering whether or not she was in a dream, though if it was a dream, she knew she'd have woken up by now. “And uh, how did you and Eda meet? Is she like your mom or something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Nah, she's just my magical mentor! She teaches me magic and in exchange, I do all the grunt work helping her sell stuff! My real mom's a witch doctor, she works across town!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>A witch doctor...?” said Amity, conjuring up an image from her human experience.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>You know, a doctor for witches, patching up magical maladies! She thinks Eda's a bad influence, but you can't argue with results...!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz withdrew the wand from her cloak and waved it around, generating dozens of points of light all over the tent. She waved her wand again, and each ball of light exploded into a mini fireworks show as Amity stared open-mouthed in shock at the impressive display.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I can do all kinds of things with light magic, look...!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz pointed her wand at a box sitting several feet away. A beam of light extended from her wand and pulled the box over to Amity, allowing the young human to sit down on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>And check </span><em>this </em><span>out!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz extended her wand again, and a beam of light emanated from it, transforming the wand into something else familiar to Amity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Whoa.... just like </span><em>Star Wars</em><span>....” said Amity quietly.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I have absolutely no idea what that is, but it sounds awesome!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Your magic is awesome,” said Amity, who couldn't help but be impressed. Luz giggled and dispelled the light saber, pulling up another box and sitting down next to her. “How long have you been training?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Under Eda? A couple of years,” said Luz. “Before I met Eda, I was kind of a failure at magic... I was always getting in trouble at Hexside, I was at the bottom of my class, and mom insisted I find someone to train me. She asked Lilith to help, but Lilith was too strict and mean... so I found my own tutor! Eda didn't want to help at first, until I mentioned Lilith... did I tell you they were sisters?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Uh, you did just now,” said Amity. “Wait, was that the lady you blasted in town?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Yep! Ooh, which reminds me, I need to tell Eda about that, she'll probably give me a reward, she loves it when I mess with her sister.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled, recalling her own 'rivalry' with the twins... though she almost found herself identifying with Lilith, considering that Eda reminded her more of Ed and Em.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Is Lilith a bad person?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Actually... no, not really,” said Luz. “She's actually pretty nice to her students, even if she is a bit strict. She probably wasn't gonna hurt you, but Eda doesn't trust the Emperor's Coven and neither do I. Ugh, I'm probably boring you with all this political stuff, huh?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>No, no, actually... actually it's pretty interesting,” said Amity, starting to blush. “It almost reminds me of this book I'm reading called </span><em>The Good Witch Azura</em><span>.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz gasped, startling Amity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Wait, did I say something-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>YOU READ AZURA TOO?!?!” Luz shouted, reaching out and grabbing Amity's hands and pulling them close to her chest. Amity, startled by the sudden display of affection, just sat there not knowing what to do as Luz squealed over and over again. “I can't believe it I can't believe it I can't believe it I can't believe it!!!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>What's all the yelling, is the human hurting you?” said Eda suddenly, poking her head into the tent and glaring at Amity. “Don't think I haven't forgotten about you threatening me earlier, I'm watching you.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Eda...! The human girl reads Azura!!!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Well yeah, those books came from the human world, right?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>No, those books come from the Boiling Isles!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Wait, what?” Amity said suddenly, blinking her eyes. “The Azura books are written by a human author, they're printed by a publishing company based out of London!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Well... maybe London is part of the Boiling Isles?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I can prove to you right now that it's not,” said Amity, taking out her phone.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Okay, while you two argue about London, I'm gonna go back out there and make sure the cops aren't digging through my stuff,” said Eda, retreating from the tent as Amity began scrolling through her phone.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Wait,” said Luz, placing her hand on Amity's. “I believe you. If you say the Azura books come from the human world, then that's where they're from. You don't have to prove it to me.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>But-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>It's okay,” said Luz, smiling. “By the way, you never told me your name...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>It's Amity. And... I still want to show you the proof.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz giggled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>You're kind of a know-it-all, aren'tcha?” she asked playfully. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity sighed, putting down her phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>You can tell, huh?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>It's okay, they call me one too,” said Luz, pulling back her cloak to reveal her Top Student star from Hexside. “It's not really a big deal, the only reason I got it is because Eda started teaching me... but ever since I got it everybody started calling me stuff like 'dork', or 'know it all', or 'teacher's pet'... I'd blow off class to try and lose it, but my mom was so proud when I got it, I can't bear to see how she'd react if I didn't have it anymore.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>...let me guess, big mansion, rich family?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Not really,” said Luz. “More like little shack on the outskirts of town. Actually, my mom's not really a witch doctor... more like a witch nurse, but she works really hard and I don't wanna let her down.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The more Amity talked to Luz, the more she felt like she wanted to get to know her more... she could already tell they didn't have a lot in common besides their love for the </span>
  <em>Good Witch Azura </em>
  <span>books, but in a strange world filled with strange and scary people, Luz was the only one who made Amity feel like she was safe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>And I bet your mom wants you to get back home soon too, right?” said Luz, standing up from her box. “I'll go talk to Eda... I don't care how much I have to beg and whine and cry, I'll get her to let you go back home!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz turned to Amity and put on her best pouty face, complete with quivering lip and tear-filled eyes. Amity giggled again, and watched as Luz started to leave... and as she did, she thought about home... and about Goldstar, and about her family...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>If I go to Goldstar, I'll have the worst summer of my life. Phone or no phone, being there for the next two and a half months is gonna drive me crazy.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity thought about Luz, and Eda, and Azura... and how the Boiling Isles was like nothing she'd ever seen before.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>If I stay here, I might get killed. ...or I might have the best summer ever. I don't know what it is about that girl Luz, but she's not like any of my friends back home. She's sweet, she's funny, she doesn't care about people thinking she's weird... she's everything I'm not, and being around her is really fun. ...and she can turn her wand into a freaking lightsaber.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, wait,” said Amity suddenly, reaching over and grabbing Luz's hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?” said Luz, looking over at Amity. “You don't think my pout is convincing enough?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” said Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Awww, I knew it! I should be whimpering too! And maybe put on the cat ears for extra-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I mean... I think I might like to stay. At least a little bit longer.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a question though... do you think I could learn magic?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I dunno...” said Luz, putting her finger to her chin. “We're only able to do magic because we have a sac of bile attached to our hearts-”</p><p> </p><p>“Ew,” interrupted Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, humans don't have that. But... you know, anything's possible if you believe hard enough! I mean, before I met Eda, I could barely do magic even <em>with </em>the bile sac, and look at me now! If you stick around, I can totally help you! And I'm sure Eda can too!”</p><p> </p><p>“Then it's settled,” said Amity. “I want to stay here on the Boiling Isles.”</p><p> </p><p><a id="tw-target-text-feminine" name="tw-target-text-feminine"></a>“<span><span>....yay!” squealed Luz suddenly, wrapping her arms around Amity in a tight hug. “I'll go tell Eda! I bet she'll totally let you crash with her! I'd let you crash with me, but I'm pretty sure my mom would say something like '</span></span><span><em>De ninguna manera estoy dejando que una humana se quede aquí, ¿estás loca?'</em></span><span><span>”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><em>There's no way I'm letting a human stay here, are you crazy?</em></span><span><span>” came a robotic-sounding voice from Amity's phone a few seconds later. Luz blinked, then laughed loudly.</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Is there anything that phone </span></span><span><em>can't </em></span><span><span>do?!” Luz exclaimed in amazement. “If I help you learn magic, can you show me more cool phone stuff?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>“<span><span>Sure thing,” Amity replied. “C'mon, let's go tell Eda the good news.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    <span>As the two girls walked out of the tent together, flashes of an otherworldly summer began to pass through Amity's mind. She was still having second thoughts about staying on the Boiling Isles, but Luz's presence and the prospect of a summer at Goldstar dispelled most of them from her mind.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I have no idea what I've just gotten myself into... but something tells me this is going to be the start of my greatest adventure.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Beyond Friendship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 3 – First Kiss </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“Beyond Friendship”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>O-O-O</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The best laid plans of witches and wizards...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few hours ago, Amity Blight had been planning the best night of her life. As she left Hexside earlier that day, she'd talked to Luz and had invited her to the park for what was supposed to be a confession of the feelings she'd slowly built up over the past few weeks. Even before Luz started going to Hexside, she and Amity had been friends... but after the two started going to class together, studying, spending time in clubs together... Amity realized that this human girl had changed her life in a very short amount of time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz's kindness and warm spirit had given Amity a reason to completely ditch the “popular” crowd... she'd even begun making up with Willow, though the two former friends weren't quite back to their old relationship status just yet. Though Amity and Luz still seemed to be on opposite sides of a struggle between their mentors Lilith and Eda, neither of the two girls wanted anything to do with the conflict, and their friendship had grown even stronger after one of their Azura Book Club sessions had turned into a heated political debate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, Amity's feelings for Luz had transformed into something else entirely. She didn't want to be just friends... she wanted to be something more. She cared deeply about Luz, she was willing to give her life for Luz... and she wanted to reveal the truth quickly instead of keeping it bottled inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Amity had missed that meeting with Luz in the park that night. Instead, she found herself tied to a chair in a decrepit old house as two lowlifes in fraying cloaks paced the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Being a Blight had its perks, but it had also put a target on her back... and these two were looking to make a fortune.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I say we send the ransom note now!” said one of the cloaked criminals, a man with a scar running down the side of his face. “The sooner we send that note, the sooner we get that money!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>And I say we wait and see what the Blight family says first!” said the other criminal, a woman with long, messy red hair. “See if they make a big deal out of it, then we can ask for lots more shells!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two criminals weren't bright, but they </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>managed to get the jump on Amity... she supposed she had only herself to blame, being too distracted by her nervousness about her confession to Luz to see them sneaking up behind her readying a sleep spell. She'd awoke tied up inside this shack, and though she wasn't hurt, she didn't want to stay long enough to find out what might happen to her if her parents didn't cough up the ransom money.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And, obviously, she didn't want to keep Luz waiting for very long... she was already imagining how upset Luz must be, thinking Amity had blown her off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Untie me now! </span>
  </em>
  <span>
    <span>mumbled Amity through a strip of white tape that had been plastered over her mouth. She glared fiercely at her captors, wanting to let them know in no uncertain terms that if they didn't let her go, they'd regret it.</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“You hush up, ya spoiled brat!” shouted the redhead, walking over to Amity and pointing a wand at her in a threatening manner. “Don't make me turn you into a lizard!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity recoiled a bit in fear, but also tried to keep the defiant look on her face, raising an eyebrow and keeping up her glare.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I doubt you two idiots know any real transformation magic, </em>
  <span>thought Amity. </span>
  <em>And even if you did, you'd be more likely to transform yourselves than anyone else.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>What were you even doing out in the park alone at night anyway?” said the cloaked man, leaning in. “We were gonna go after your older brother, but you walked right into that park and made it real easy for us!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Upon learning that Edric had been the kidnappers' initial target, Amity couldn't help but roll her eyes... though she also clenched her fists behind the chair, out of a sense of familial indignation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Nobody messes with my family</em>
  <span>, thought Amity, and found herself somewhat glad that she'd been the one taken instead of Ed or Em, despite her fears at the current situation. She let out a muffled growl, and the redhead just laughed and cupped her chin, prompting Amity to angrily turn her head away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>You just sit there and behave yourself, and provided your mommy and daddy pay up, you'll be playing in the park again in no time,” she said in a condescending tone that Amity didn't bother to dignify with a response.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No doubt Lilith will find out about this at the same time my parents do, </em>
  <span>thought Amity. The thought of Lilith storming in and making these criminals pay was somewhat satisfying, though it also made her a bit embarrassed to need a rescue from her teacher, who would no doubt lecture her afterward. </span>
  <em>I just hope help gets here soon... in the meantime, I'm not going to wait around for a rescue.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity silently struggled, hoping her two captors were as dumb as they looked.</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>Luz followed a barely visible trail, holding a stack of postcard-sized Azura drawings in her hand. The stack had initially been part of a trail of 'breadcrumbs' leading Luz to the park, where Amity had told her to meet... but Amity hadn't shown, and instead, a trail of footprints and scuffmarks had led the human girl down some narrow backstreets.</p><p> </p><p>Like Amity, Luz had been quite excited about the meeting that night... it wasn't the first time Amity had asked Luz to meet with her after school, but it had been the first time the two would be meeting so late at night.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity's really going out of her way to lead me around,” said Luz to herself, following the trail to the small house that, unbeknownst to her, was occupied by more than just Amity. “What's with all the secrecy?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz had her suspicions, but none of them focused on Amity being ready to confess something deeper than friendship. After all, they'd only known each other for a few months! Sure, they'd gotten closer as friends, but Amity was still somewhat emotionally guarded, not nearly as expressive as Luz herself, and still seemed to keep a healthy distance between the two of them. Just last week, Amity had told her 'don't read too much into us', as if trying to say 'we might be friends, but don't think we're close friends'.</p><p> </p><p>Which, of course, had disappointed her somewhat, as Luz herself thought they <em>were </em>close friends. In fact, it was Luz who believed that maybe, just maybe, Amity was ready for something more... and even if Amity might not be ready, Luz was planning to admit her feelings that very night. She knew it might change everything... she knew it might drive Amity away. She was afraid, but not too afraid to admit what she was really feeling... and if Amity responded negatively, so be it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Besides</em>
  <span>, thought Luz, trying to reassure herself, </span>
  <em>she wouldn't go to all this trouble if she didn't really care about me.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz held twelve Azura drawings in her hand, each one done by Amity. She estimated it had only taken about ten minutes to draw each one, but the drawings were still quite detailed and cute, and Luz knew that a lot of work had gone into them. The drawings had led to the spot in the park where Amity wanted to meet, but Amity hadn't been there, and in her place was that trail of marks on the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“I wonder if she got tired of drawing?” thought Luz, looking down at the cards again. “Maybe her hand cramped up, or she ran out of ideas...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz approached the door to the house, taking a nervous breath. Her hand shook as she reached for the doorknob, and it probably would've been shaking more had she known what awaited her... or perhaps not.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Okay, Luz, you've got this. Just tell her how you feel and be completely honest. Get ready to really lay it on thick, just like Azura did in book five when she told Hecate how badly she wanted to be friends!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz slowly opened the door... and was shocked to see Amity, gagged and tied to a chair, in the middle of the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity?” said Luz softly, before seeing the predicament her friend was in. “OH, CRAMITY!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Luz! </em>
  <span>muffled Amity, squirming ferociously in her chair. Luz ran over to her and yanked the tape from her mouth, with little regard for the skin of her lips, which stung as the adhesive was ripped away. “Ow!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Sorry!” Luz apologized. “Who did this? Is this one of Ed and Em's pranks?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>No, a couple of creeps grabbed me in the park just before you came!” Amity whispered nervously, her eyes darting back and forth. “You need to go get help, they could come back at any second!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I'm not leaving you here!” said Luz, walking around behind the chair to untie her friend.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I said go, now!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Neither one of you are going anywhere,” said the cloaked man, standing next to the door with his redheaded partner, who used her foot to shut the door behind them. “And just who the hex are you?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nervously looked up from Amity's chair and glared at the two kidnappers, quite nervous but still courageously standing up to protect her friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I'm Luz Noceda, the human girl, and I'm here to save Amity!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Luz, run!” Amity protested, gesturing toward the back of the house. “Find a back door and get out of here, you don't have enough magic to beat them!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>A human, huh?” said the redhead, walking over to Luz. Luz took a fighting stance, holding one hand in a fist while holding the stack of drawings in the other. “Wonder how many shells we could get for a human? The Boiling Isles Research Atelier is always looking for experimental subjects...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Wow, that is only the second time someone's threatened to dissect me since I showed up here,” said Luz, slamming one of the drawings down onto a nearby table. “Sorry, Amity, but I need the paper!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz took out a pen and quickly traced out a light spell on the back of the card, then threw it at the redheaded witch. A ball of light appeared and floated in front of her, only for the redhead to swat it away as if she was swatting a fly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>A human who knows magic?” the cloaked man mused, raising an eyebrow.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Pretty weak magic,” said the redhead, as Luz nervously backed away. Meanwhile, Amity intensified her struggles, determined to get free before Luz got herself hurt.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Dammit, Luz, why do you always have to be so heroic? Not that I don't love that about you, but this really isn't the time...! </em>
  <span>Amity tried tracing out a spell on the back of the chair, but the position her wrists were tied in didn't give her much leverage, and tracing the air allowed for only a small circle, barely enough for a weak flame that dissipated quickly. “Ugggghh!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz backed into the next room, which happened to be a small kitchen. She dropped several more of the cards on the ground and began drawing a symbol as both kidnappers followed her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>C'mon, just give up and we won't hurt you,” said the cloaked man, menacingly approaching Luz with his wand.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Yeah, we'll even let you spend the night with your friend,” said the redhead. “We'll turn you into baby chickens and you can share the same cage and cluck ghost stories to each other!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Sorry, but I've been a chicken once and it was </span><em>not </em><span>as fun as I thought it would be!” said Luz, recalling a recent misadventure with Eda. “Now... freeze!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz slammed her hands down onto the symbol, creating a large brick of ice that rose up from the ground and encased the kidnappers' lower bodies. As the two of them let out a cry of surprise, Luz pumped her fists victoriously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Oooh yeah, Luz saves the day!” the human girl cheered to herself. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the redhead managed to break her wand hand free from the ice, pointing it at Luz and blasting her with a spell. Luz barely had time to leap out of the way as a small explosion sent pots and pans flying, and gave the redhead enough time to melt the ice around herself and her partner with a second spell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Ugh, the human knows magic?” groaned the cloaked man, grabbing the bottom folds of his cloak and twisting them to wring out the water.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>How annoying,” the redhead muttered, as Luz slowly rose to her feet. “Get her!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz let out a shriek as two more blasts were aimed her way, diving for an adjacent room as the rest of the kitchen was destroyed. She found herself in an old hallway, and ran for cover as the kidnappers gave chase.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I've got to get back to Amity and get her out of here, </em>
  <span>thought Luz, her mind drifting toward Amity even as she was running for her life. </span>
  <em>She must be so scared right now...!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz could hear footsteps coming rapidly behind her, and made her way toward a set of stairs. She ran up them, even though she knew it would only enable her pursuers to corner her more easily. She was hoping to find a window to leap out of, but as she fled into a bedroom, she gasped as she realized the window was completely boarded up. She started to run back out into the hallway, but saw the criminals coming up the stairs, and looked around for a place to hide.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Come on, come on, I gotta lose them, then maybe I can sneak back to where Amity is...!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She found a closet and quickly dived in, closing it behind her and listening as the two made their way into the room. She felt around for the Azura drawings... she had two of them left, barely enough for a couple of small light spells, let alone another ice spell.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Maybe an ice dagger? </em>
  <span>thought Luz, placing one of the cards on the ground. She listened to the criminals outside the room, and her hands shook nervously as she blindly traced an ice symbol on the card, while listening to them talk just outside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I don't think she's in here, Hidora,” said the cloaked man, looking under the bed. “I bet she ducked into the bathroom.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Nah, I bet she crept up to the attic,” said the redhead, as Luz listened outside.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Yeah, the attic, I'm up there...! </em>
  <span>thought Luz, slamming her hand down onto the card as quietly as she could... but nothing happened. </span>
  <em>I messed up the symbol, no....!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz was down to her last card... she thought about trying the ice symbol again, but instead, she decided to trace a light symbol... thinking that if she put as much energy into it as she could, she could blind them just long enough to push past, run downstairs, grab Amity, and get the heck out of there. It was an insane, stupid plan, but it was the only plan she had, and Amity was depending on her.</p><p> </p><p>“No way she's in the closet, Goric. It's barely big enough to fit my clothes, let alone that girl. Like I said, she's up in the attic, let's go.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz breathed a sigh of relief as she finished tracing the light spell. She put her hand up to her heart and waited for the kidnappers to leave, thinking about Amity the whole time.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Amity... it's gonna be okay. I'll rescue you, and then I'll confess my love! It'll be just like that scene from that Azura/Hecate fanfic I wrote last year!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz waited a few more seconds and then opened the door.</p><p> </p><p>The two criminals were waiting for her.</p><p> </p><p>“AAAAAAAAAH!” Luz screamed loudly, slamming her hand down on the card as hard as she could. A bright flash of light appeared, temporarily blinding the two criminals. She pushed past them as hard as she could... and found herself grabbed by the collar and slammed back down onto the ground. “Oooof!”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you <em>really </em>think that would work, kid?” asked Goric, laughing at the now completely defenseless Luz. “We could've opened that closet any time we wanted, we were just waiting to see what you'd do, and that was pretty disappointing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, we thought you might try stabbing us with an ice dagger or something, that would've been pretty neat, but another light ball? Brighter than the first, but still pathetic!”</p><p> </p><p>“Don't hurt Amity, please...” pleaded Luz. “She's really nice... she reads to children at the library!”</p><p> </p><p>Goric and Hidora just laughed again, as Luz sat there and growled.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, if we get our ransom money, your friend'll be just fine,” said Hidora, putting her hand on her hip. “But as for you, human...”</p><p> </p><p>Summoning all the strength and courage she had, Luz stood up and threw a fierce punch at Hidora, only to be grabbed by the wrist and held up in the air with a wand pointed at her chin.</p><p> </p><p>“As for you, you're a bit more trouble than you're worth, so we're just going to turn you into a chicken and eat you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh heheheh... how are you gonna cook me, you guys blew up your kitchen...” said Luz nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“We'll turn you into an already cooked chicken!” said Goric, pointing his wand at Luz as Hidora dropped her back onto the ground.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Please don't let me taste good...! </em>
  <span>thought Luz, looking away and closing her eyes as the two kidnappers got ready to blast her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the two criminals found themselves blown across the room by a powerful burst of magic. Luz looked over and saw Amity standing in the doorway, holding her wand in one hand while using the other to rub her wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity!” Luz called out, standing up and walking over to her friend.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I guess you couldn't stay away,” said Amity, lowering her wand only for Luz to wrap her arms tightly around her. “Didn't I tell you to run?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Yeah, well, you know me...” Luz said, blushing brightly as she parted from her friend, who still had a stern, serious look on her face.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Luz, I'm serious! Those two almost killed you... how do you think I would've felt if anything happened to you because you were trying to save me?!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz put her hand up to her face, trying to explain herself as Amity continued to berate her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>And this isn't the first time! Back at the Arena, when that monster snatched Eda and the twins? I told you not to come, but you came anyway!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>And I helped save them, remember?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I could've done that myself,” said Amity, looking away.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Why do you always do this? Throwing yourself into... insane situations, even though you're just a human with only like... two spells, and going up against two way more powerful witches, just to help me when you know I would've been fine on my own! My mom and dad would've paid the ransom, and even if they wouldn't have, I was about to get free anyway! As soon as you and those two left the room, I conjured up a flame and burned my wrist ropes and got out! Why do you always have to be the hero? This isn't </span><em>The Good Witch Azura</em><span>, this is real life, and I-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Because I love you, okay?!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz gasped and put her hands up to her mouth, while Amity stopped talking, stunned by Luz's sudden confession. Luz couldn't believe what she'd just said, she'd never expected to admit it in the way she did, but standing there, overcome with emotion, thinking about the danger she was in and the danger Amity had been in, and knowing that if she didn't say it now she might not get another chance... and now it was out there, and she didn't know what Amity would say, especially since Amity was clearly still upset with her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>...I... I was gonna tell you at the park tonight, but you didn't show,” said Luz, bowing her head. “I didn't know why you wanted to meet, but I figured it'd be as good a time as any... I know I'm just a human, and we've only known each other for like a couple months, and we got off to a </span><em>really </em><span>bad start, but... you're awesome, Amity. You're so smart, and so nice... and you're so brave too... I mean, you just saved my life, imagine that, huh? Guess I was the damsel in distress this time...”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz laughed nervously as she watched the expression on Amity's face... it hadn't changed from the moment she'd confessed, though Amity's face was getting increasingly red, and Luz couldn't tell if that was from anger or embarrassment, so she continued to speak in an effort to cut the tension.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I know this is really sudden too... and you're probably still super mad... but I can't help it, I love you and I want to be your girlfriend... and I'll always come save you when you're in trouble, even if I'm just a human with no magic! In fact, I'm going to work extra hard to learn magic now so I can protect everyone... but especially you!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity continued to stare at Luz, whose eyes had started to quiver. Then, she began to giggle. Luz blinked in surprise, and a single tear slid down her face. Amity continued to giggle, her face bright red, and she reached out and put a hand on Luz's shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I'm sorry, Luz... I shouldn't be laughing,” said Amity, managing to calm herself down. “It's just... seeing how brave and determined you are, how brave and determined you </span><em>always </em><span>are... I've seen witches with so much more power than you who didn't have half the courage you have.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I know it's stupid since I don't have very much magic, but-”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>No,” said Amity, her laughter ceasing as she looked into Luz's eyes. “It's not stupid at all. Luz... the thing is... the reason I wanted to meet you at the park tonight is... the same reason I got so upset that you refused to run away.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Huh?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I... I care about you too, Luz. ...ugh, no, I'm not going to mince words... I love you too.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz gasped quietly in surprise, and another tear slid down her cheek. Amity reached up and wiped the tear away with her finger, placing her soft hand on Luz's face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I don't know how it happened, whether it was back at the library, or out at the Arena, or during one of our book club sessions, but at some point, I just realized... I couldn't live without you. I don't care that you're hanging around with Eda, or that we're on opposite sides of this whole Emperor Bellows thing... all I care about is that you came into my life and made it a lot better.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity smiled and softly shook her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>And to think, at one point I thought you were making my life worse... then I realized how kind you are, and how brave you are, and I just... I just couldn't stop wanting to see you. You've inspired me, Luz, more than anyone ever has, and I.... Luz?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz was smiling... and sobbing at the same time, her eyes still looking right at Amity's as tears streamed rapidly down her cheeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I... I... I'm so happy,” sniffled Luz. “I never imagined you felt the same way I do...”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity leaned in, placing her forehead against Luz's, reaching up with both hands to wipe the tears from her eyes and cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I'm glad I told you,” said Amity. “I'm glad I got a chance.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I'm glad I did too,” replied Luz, reaching up and placing her hands on Amity's cheeks. Amity nuzzled her face against one of Luz's hands, then smooched one of her fingers. “So... what now? Azura Book Club still? Or can we start dating...? Is it okay here?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Lilith won't like it, but... she'll understand,” said Amity. “Just... don't tell her about me getting kidnapped, okay?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz nodded, and sniffled again. She slowly parted from Amity, her hands lowering from the girl's face. Amity kept her hands where they were, and gently pulled Luz forward. Luz's eyes widened for a moment, then, as she realized what Amity wanted to do, she softly closed them, and let Amity pull her the rest of the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their lips touched and pushed together, and stayed there for several seconds, Amity's hands pressing tightly against Luz's cheeks to hold onto the moment as long as she could. Luz felt the warmth of Amity's lips against her own, and briefly considered parting them, but Amity's lips stayed in place, and Luz was quite happy with their first kiss... her first kiss, a kiss beyond anything she'd imagined from any of her books. Finally, Amity backed slightly away, and Luz opened her eyes to gaze into Amity's, and the two remained there for a few seconds more, grinning at each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Do your lips still hurt from the, um... tape?” asked Luz, blushing and smiling in a nervous apology.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>They've never felt better,” Amity replied warmly, the sting of that moment having faded long ago.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Sorry about using your drawings to make magic... I really liked them too, I wish I'd saved them on my phone but-”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity silenced Luz, pulling her into another kiss that lasted as long as the first. Luz decided this time to wrap her arms around Amity, and Amity returned the gesture, and the two held onto each other as the second kiss ended, caressing each other's backs and knowing that whatever happened after that, both of them would be just fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Awww...” said Hidora, still laying on the ground after she and her partner had been blasted by Amity's magic. “That's so sweet!”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>You two are still going to jail,” said Amity, drawing a circle in the air and conjuring up a cage barely big enough to hold the two kidnappers. “That should keep you two from getting away before the guards get here.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Well...should we go back to the park and hang out?” asked Luz, as she and Amity finally released each other from their long embrace. “Or is it too late?”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>We've still got time, I think,” Amity replied, taking Luz's hand. “I'll draw you another Azura picture too.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Oooh, if you've got an extra piece of paper, I'll draw one for you! We'll have an art jam!”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amity giggled, tightening her grip on Luz's hand as the two left together, stepping out of the decrepit old house into a new chapter of their lives. They didn't know where their newfound love would take them, but they knew they'd always be there for each other, no matter what happened next.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Midnight Fair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 4 – First Date </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“The Midnight Fair”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>Luz could feel the light and warmth all around her, from the stars in the sky to the lights lining the streets, and even though she'd never walked the street at midnight before, she'd never felt safer than she did in this moment.</p><p> </p><p>She could feel a soft hand gripping her own, fingers interlocked with hers, tightening their grip as she and her companion walked together. The streets were full of people, the night was cool and calm, and music and voices were everywhere.</p><p> </p><p>“I don't know anything about this Midnight Fair, but it sure sounds cool, huh?” said Luz enthusiastically, as she and her companion made their way down a long, wide street lined with games and vendors and sights and sounds, and though she felt safe, her companion was still quite nervous, and even her soft smile couldn't hide the fact that she wasn't entirely sure she should be here.</p><p> </p><p>“All I've heard is that it's one of the biggest events of the year in the Boiling Isles,” replied Amity, stroking one hand through her hair as her other hand gripped Luz's. She was dressed in a long black cloak, with none of her familiar Hexside adornments, and she'd considered wearing a disguise, as she didn't want anyone to know she was here. “Actually, I've heard quite a bit about it from Lilith... she says it's full of criminals and degenerates, and that I'm forbidden to attend...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz giggled, playfully bumping Amity as the two continued to walk together.</p><p> </p><p>“That's half the fun, sneaking out to come here in secret! And what better place for our first date than this awesome fair?”</p><p> </p><p>As Amity tried to force the worries from her mind, the couple was approached by a carnival barker, attempting to promote his booth. The girls looked over and saw a game that looked a lot like ring toss, though instead of tossing rings around bottles, participants instead attempted to toss live snakes around winged beasts that moved up and down.</p><p> </p><p>“Ooooh, that looks kinda fun!” said Luz, tugging on her hoodie and turning to Amity. “Can we go play?”</p><p> </p><p>“If ya get the snake around the whippleroar, you win a prize! If the snake EATS the whippleroar, you win a bigger prize!”</p><p> </p><p>“I love prizes!” Luz cried out excitedly. She tried to pull Amity over to the booth, but Amity planted her feet into the dirt and shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, these games are all rigged, the whippleroar is trained to move out of the way when the snake is tossed at him, and I bet the snake doesn't even eat whippleroars.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz continued to watch the booth as a patron grabbed a snake and began to wind up to throw it, only for the snake to suddenly eat the patron whole. Amity gasped, while Luz just continued to glare at the display.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you win for that?” she asked, pointing at the snake.</p><p> </p><p>“C'mon, Luz, let's go...”</p><p> </p><p>Amity tugged Luz away from the booth and toward the center of the fair, a large open area surrounded by booths. Luz continued to look around at all the nearby wonders, eyeing several more of the games before her eyes focused on a food cart serving up fried mystery bowls.</p><p> </p><p>“I am kinda hungry,” said Luz, rubbing her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Amity found herself nervously looking around as well, not necessarily for something fun to do, but watching for any members of the Emperor's Coven in attendance who might report her back to Lilith. She <em>wanted </em>to relax and have a fun time with her new girlfriend, but she found herself worried that she'd end up in trouble. Her nervousness made her forget about everything else, including, for a few moments, Luz, who walked up to the mystery bowl cart and waved at the cook.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, so what exactly is in a fried mystery bowl anyway?” she asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it's a mystery, that's the point!” replied the chef, a portly looking man with the head of a boar.</p><p> </p><p>“I know that, but can you tell me what <em>might </em>be in one...?”</p><p> </p><p>As Luz continued to question the chef, Amity kept her eyes peeled for the Emperor's Coven. Upon realizing that the coast, at least for now, was clear, she sighed and allowed herself to relax, just in time for Luz to walk back over with two mystery bowls in hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Here ya go, Amity!” said Luz, handing her one of them.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, what's this?”</p><p> </p><p>“It's a fried mystery bowl! I tried to get the chef to give me a hint of what's in it, and he was able to promise me that nothing alive is in here.”</p><p> </p><p>As Luz began to eat, Amity stirred her fork inside of the bowl, letting out a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“I wonder where Eda is?” she asked, turning to Luz. “You'd think someone like her would be all over a place like this... you know, setting up a booth, suckering folks out of their money?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, she <em>usually </em>has a booth here, but she's staying home tonight. I think it's because her potions aren't working like they used to and she doesn't want to flip out and turn into a monster in front of all these people.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah, you told me about that...”</p><p> </p><p>The two girls continued to talk, walking over to a nearby bench and sitting down. Luz was voraciously devouring her mystery bowl, while Amity hadn't taken a bite yet, still stirring it with her fork after sitting down.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you had any luck figuring out what's wrong?” asked Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Nope, and we've tried lots of things,” Luz replied, recalling some of her and Eda's recent adventures as the two tried numerous ways to reverse the curse or find a new, stronger potion recipe. “I've been thinking about signing up for the potions track to find a way to help her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, that's really kind of you,” Amity said with a smile, remembering that Luz's kindness was one of the main reasons she fell in love with the human girl so quickly. She finally took a bite from her mystery bowl, but upon tasting what she'd just eaten, she winced and groaned, barely managing to swallow it down.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, she did help me get into Hexside in the first place, and she has been helping me with magic, so it's the least I can do. But I dunno... I told her about my plan and she told me not to worry about her. She said I should pick the track that's most fun for me, and not take potions just to help her out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really? That's... that's really unselfish of her,” said Amity, sounding a bit surprised. “Lilith's been talking about Eda... says all she cares about is herself, but... from what you've told me, she sounds like she cares a lot about other people, and I don't think you'd be so loyal to her if she wasn't a good person.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz could see that Amity looked a bit guilty to have misjudged Eda, and she reached across the table and put a hand on hers.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, don't worry about it, I misjudged Eda at first too,” said Luz. “Just like I misjudged you and you misjudged me. The important thing is getting to know someone... hey, since we're dating, I bet you'll have a lot more chances to spend time with her!”</p><p> </p><p>“I... I don't know...” said Amity, looking unsure.</p><p> </p><p>“It's Lilith, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not worried about us, because Lilith doesn't see you as a threat, but if she knew I was spending time with Eda-”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey... for just one night, can you do me a favor and not worry about Lilith? Not one little bit? I want you to have as much fun as I'm having, so stop worrying about Lilith and what she might think, and start thinking about yourself and about us! And have fun! I know you want to...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz looked at Amity, a kitten-like expression on her face as she tried to persuade the witch girl to let go of her inhibitions and enjoy herself. Amity couldn't resist how cute her girlfriend was being, and she giggled and nodded in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay then, let's do it!” shouted Luz excitedly, before slurping up the last of her mystery bowl and looking down at Amity's, which had barely been touched. “Oh, are you gonna eat that?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it... tastes kinda gross,” said Amity. Luz grabbed the mystery bowl and started to slurp it up, only to spit all of it back out immediately.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, that <em>does </em>taste gross!” shrieked Luz. She looked down and could see Tiny Nose, who was now drenched from head to toe. “Oh, umm... sorry! Amity, let's go!”</p><p> </p><p>The two girls ran away from Tiny Nose, who chased them for a few seconds before giving up and trudging over to a caricature booth to have her picture drawn. They made their way to a spinning ride and decided to climb aboard.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, I gotta warn you, I get nauseous on these kinds of rides...”</p><p> </p><p>“It's okay, you barely ate any of that mystery bowl, it's me who's gotta worry about throwing up!”</p><p> </p><p>The ride began, and unlike the rides in Luz's world, which had safety and manufacturing regulations to deal with, this ride took the girls on a ferocious spin that pushed the limits of human endurance. They shrieked wildly, holding on tightly to one another, fearing for their lives as the ride went up and down and side to side, defying not only the laws of safety, but the laws of physics as well. Finally, it stopped, and the two girls staggered off, holding onto one another. Neither one of them felt nauseous, but their hearts were racing, and they looked at each other after catching their breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz....?”</p><p> </p><p>“....I wanna ride it again!” Luz shouted, grabbing Amity and laughing as she pulled her back onto the ride for another go.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, wait, LUUUUUUUUUZ!!!!”</p><p> </p><p>After another shrieking, death-defying ride on the spinning machine of death, the two girls made their way to what looked like a cotton candy booth, though the cotton candy was being made from the hair of a strange looking creature that looked like a cross between and elf and a Troll doll, that regrew itself as soon as it was pulled off.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm starting to see why Lilith doesn't want me here,” said Amity, watching as Luz accepted two of the strange confection from the vendor.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, you don't have to eat this if you don't want to, I know it looks gross,” said Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“....give me one,” said Amity, taking one of the cotton candy spools away from Luz and grabbing a big clump before eating it whole. “That's really good...!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, right?!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity devoured the whole thing in less than a minute, barely faster than Luz, then started giggling as she pulled her over to another attraction. This was a “guess the dragon's weight” booth, on which a plump green dragon the size of a small car sat next to a giant scale. Luz studied the dragon carefully as Amity walked up to the man running the booth.</p><p> </p><p>“1,798 snablecks,” said Amity matter-of-factly, before crossing her arms over her chest with a confident smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity?” Luz stammered, blinking at her girlfriend. “I'm not sure-”</p><p> </p><p>“You're... exactly right...!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” said the witch girl with a smirk, looking over at Luz. “Luz, you want a dragon?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz gasped, her eyes growing wide with excitement, imagining the possibilities for a moment before her shoulders slumped and she groaned, letting out a loud sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“Ehhhhh, I better not.... I dunno how Eda would react and King would probably make it eat someone. Thanks anyway, though!”</p><p> </p><p>“It's okay,” said Amity, turning to the man. “Just send the dragon to Hexside, compliments of an anonymous donor. I'm sure the students on the Beastkeeping Track could use another one, and Luz, you can visit him whenever you want.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yay!” exclaimed Luz, wrapping her arms tightly around Amity. “Maybe we should go back to that snake tossing game and I can try to win <em>you</em> a prize!”</p><p> </p><p>A snake crawled in front of Amity and Luz. It was the same one from the game before, still with a lump in its stomach the size and shape of the man who'd tried to toss it. Amity sighed and traced a circle in the air, casting a spell that forced the snake to cough up the man and slither rapidly away.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh... oh thank you, that was an ungodly nightmare!” shouted the grateful man, coughing and gasping for breath. Amity looked over at Luz, who shuddered a bit and recoiled slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what, maybe I'll just buy you another cotton candy...” said Luz with a nervous giggle.</p><p> </p><p>The two girls continued to enjoy their night at the fair, laughing and screaming as they ran from booth to booth, ride to ride, vendor to vendor, having the time of their lives together. They managed to find a few games that didn't involve the risk of being eaten, and Luz managed to win Amity a beautiful bracelet that matched the color of her hair, while Amity spent half an hour playing an obviously rigged claw machine game in an effort to win a stuffed animal for Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry I couldn't win you that prize, Luz,” sighed Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“It's okay, listening to you cuss out that machine for the last 30 minutes was prize enough!' said Luz, blushing and giggling. Amity blushed in response, and Luz leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I think we should check out more of the vendors, let's go this way!”</p><p> </p><p>The two girls ducked down an alley, until they were in a more secluded part of the fair. Cloaked patrons and shady vendors mingled in this area, and there were a couple of booths set up closely resembling the one Luz helped Eda run... complete with human trinkets and artifacts.</p><p> </p><p>“Check it out, I bet this is where Eda sets up when she's here...” said Luz, walking with Amity over to a large booth where a wide array of items was on display. Luz could feel Amity's hand gripping hers a lot more tightly as they approached, and she looked down at her friend, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous. “Amity...?”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz... I think this is the contraband section of the fair,” whispered Amity, pointing to some of the selections available from the booth. “I'm not sure we should be here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you promised me you weren't gonna worry about Lilith.”</p><p> </p><p>“This isn't about Lilith, this stuff is just plain illegal!”</p><p> </p><p>Luz perused some of the items available at the booth... there was nothing that seemed especially scandalous. The thing she noticed most was a selection of reference books on humans, books from the more boring sections of the libraries and bookstores she enjoyed back home.</p><p> </p><p>“You mean those books?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes!” whispered Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“May I help you...?” asked the vendor, a fair-skinned woman clad in a dark blue cloak. “We've got a fine selection of human artifacts here... and I can see that one of you happens to be a human.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, just me and my girlfriend out on a date!” said Luz with a smile. “I'm Luz Noceda and I'm indeed a human, and I was wondering if you had anything interesting for sale?”</p><p> </p><p>As Amity reached up and placed her hand on her forehead, the cloaked woman pulled down several of the books and displayed them on the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, see anything you like?” asked Luz, pulling her friend's hand down from her face.</p><p> </p><p>“What? Luz, you know I can't-”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, this one's <em>kind </em>of interesting I guess...” said Luz, pointing to a book about human art and literature. “Looks like an art history book from about ten years ago?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah yes, you're interested in that I see? Humans draw such strange things, especially considering they can't use magic on their own.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, I think you'd like this one,” said Luz, showing the book to Amity. The book was full of pictures of and stories about elves and water nymphs, and though the stories the humans told within weren't accurate to the reality of the Boiling Isles, the art was detailed and beautiful, and several of the designs caught Amity's eye as Luz turned her head to look while she flipped the pages.</p><p> </p><p>“That's... that's beautiful,” whispered Amity, who couldn't look away even though she knew books like this were highly forbidden on the Boiling Isles.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, why are books like these banned here?” Luz whispered back to her. Amity briefly turned and took Luz aside for a moment to explain.</p><p> </p><p>“Books like these are banned because the Emperor's Coven doesn't want people here knowing too much about humans... especially not about their dreams and fantasies. I think it might be because if people here knew what humans knew about us, they'd be able to discover more points where the two worlds overlap, which is highly classified information.”</p><p> </p><p>“But... I'm a human and I talk about my dreams and fantasies all the time,” said Luz. “Why hasn't the Emperor done anything about me yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“He doesn't see you as a threat, and besides, it's easy to dismiss you as a liar,” replied Amity. “I know you're telling the truth about everything, but if you stood up on a street corner and started blabbing everything you know about your world, the Emperor's Coven would start to discredit you... and if they couldn't do that, you'd probably disappear.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz gasped, and Amity gripped her hand reassuringly.</p><p> </p><p>“You don't have to worry... I told you, they don't see you as a threat, and you haven't started making yourself one, so you'll be fine. Besides, if there was a plot to do anything to you, I'd tell you. I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity...” said Luz, smiling warmly at her girlfriend. “Wouldn't that be like... I dunno, treason?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not if I didn't get caught,” she said with a smirk. “But do me a favor and don't go yelling about the human world in the town square, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz nodded, and turned back to the booth with Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity... I know you want this book,” said Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“I can't,” Amity replied, looking longingly at it as she flipped through more of the pages. “If I got caught with something like this-”</p><p> </p><p>“You have a secret library!”</p><p> </p><p>“That Ed and Em know about!”</p><p> </p><p>“Would they rat you out?”</p><p> </p><p>“...they <em>hate </em>the Emperor's Coven,” said Amity. “And even if they didn't, they'd never do anything to get me in trouble, not <em>that </em>much trouble anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then let me buy it for you! Eda gives me some of her profits! Not a whole lot, but I've got just enough shells left to buy you this book!”</p><p> </p><p>“I can't, Luz....”</p><p> </p><p>Luz sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, fine... I guess we should probably go then. Besides, I think the fair's almost over.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is,” said Amity. “And we don't want to miss the big fireworks display. I've only gotten to see it from Blight Manor... but it's too far away to see it very well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then let's find some front row seats!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity led the way as the two made their way back through the alley toward the main section of the fair. As Amity poked her head out from the alley, however, she saw something... or rather, someone, that made her blood run cold.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh no... Lilith!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Lilith, the leader of the Emperor's Coven, was approaching the alley, leading several guards behind her. She hadn't seen Amity, but the witch girl had to duck out of the alley quickly to avoid being spotted, and when she turned, Luz wasn't there.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz?!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity looked back toward the alley and could see Lilith leading several guards toward the booths. She quickly turned back around and began looking for her girlfriend, calling out quietly to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, where are you?!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity dove behind some boxes just in time to avoid Lilith seeing her, as the leader of the Emperor's Coven and her entourage made her way toward the booth where Luz and Amity had been shopping just moments before.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm here on behalf of the Emperor's Coven to check for contraband,” said Lilith, eyeing the vendor up and down.</p><p> </p><p>“You'll find nothing of the sort here, ma'am,” replied the vendor, who'd been able to use magic to conceal the booth's contraband items in just a few seconds.</p><p> </p><p>“We'll see about that,” said Lilith, gesturing to her guards. “Inspect everything.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity crouched behind the boxes, shaking violently, fearing that at any moment, Lilith would push the boxes away and find her. She turned, looking for an escape route, and instead saw the one person she'd been looking for.</p><p> </p><p>“L-”</p><p> </p><p>Amity barely had time to cry out her girlfriend's name in surprise before Luz's hand gently but firmly covered up her mouth, muffling any further exclamations. Amity could see that Luz was as frightened as she was, but as she tried to push Luz's hand away and ask what she was still doing here, Luz pulled something from her hoodie.</p><p> </p><p>It was the book from before. Luz had gone back and bought it while Amity was scoping out the alleyway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Luz, you bought the book? I told you not to buy me the book! </em>
  <span>Amity shouted, still with Luz's hand over her mouth. Finally, she reached up and yanked Luz's hand down, whispering furiously at her. “Luz, are you crazy?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>I know, I know, but you wanted it so bad-”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith turned and looked down at the boxes, and the two girls ceased their argument and grabbed tightly onto each other, holding each other for dear life as Lilith walked toward them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Hmm...” mused the coven leader, narrowing her eyes. “I wonder what's in here?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lilith lifted up her staff, and the boxes began to levitate. Luz and Amity looked at each other, knowing they risked imminent exposure. Amity looked and could see a nearby fence with a broken board, through which the two could make their escape if they ran for it immediately. She looked at Luz and pointed at the fence. Luz nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Okay, Amity... let's go right.... now!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The two girls ran for it just as Lilith lifted up the boxes. She didn't see their faces, but she did notice their legs as they crawled through the fence.</p><p> </p><p>“After them!” shouted Lilith, just as Luz and Amity managed to squeeze through.</p><p> </p><p>The two girls ran as fast as their legs would take them, Luz still clinging tightly to the contraband book as she and Amity ducked through another alley, Lilith's guards in hot pursuit. Fortunately for the girls, it was still quite crowded, even as people began gathering in the midway for the fireworks display, and the guards had trouble pushing past all of those people.</p><p> </p><p>“In here!” Luz said, pointing to a building adjacent to several large rides. Amity followed her, and the two ran in, closing and barring the door behind them before making a run for the other side of the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, what were you thinking? Why did you buy me that book when I asked you not to?”</p><p> </p><p>“I just wanted you to be happy... I thought it would make you happy!”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, just being at the fair with you made me happy! Now we're running for our lives! I should burn that book...!”</p><p> </p><p>Before Luz could protest, the door at the other end of the building flew open, having been blasted down by one of Lilith's spells.</p><p> </p><p>“I know you two are in here! Stop, in the name of the Emperor's Coven!”</p><p> </p><p>Luz and Amity managed to flee through the opposite side door, and were now surrounded by fair rides. They decided to hop on one that looked like a flying saucer, called the Vomitron. The ride was dark, dark enough to conceal their faces as they slipped inside, but the door remained open, and Lilith came in just as the ride began.</p><p> </p><p>“Ma'am, you're gonna have to get to the side, this thing goes awful fast,” said the operator, in a booth at the center of the ride.</p><p> </p><p>“Why can't you just stop this thing?” shouted Lilith, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“But that wouldn't be fair to the other riders!”</p><p> </p><p>“I am the leader of the Emperor's Coven, and by order of Emperor Bellows-”</p><p> </p><p>As the ride accelerated to its maximum speed, Lilith found herself slammed hard against the side wall by centrifugal forces, while Luz and Amity, who whose weight was just low enough that the G forces didn't affect their movement, slipped out the door just before it closed. Lilith saw their backsides as they exited, and tried to give chase, but was pinned to the wall, unable even to lift her staff.</p><p> </p><p>“Curse this... infernal... ride...!” she shouted, as the joyful shrieks of other riders emanated around her. “Silence, all of you!”</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Luz and Amity were stumbling away, gasping for breath and hoping they'd seen the last of their pursuer. They ran together into an alleyway, watching as Lilith's guards searched the area.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think we lost her?” asked Luz, looking over at Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“She's usually pretty persistent... we'd better get further away.”</p><p> </p><p>They made their way into another area of the fair, a sort of makeshift food court consisting of benches surrounded by food stalls. The area was deserted, as all the fair goers were making their way to the midway to watch the fireworks, giving Luz and Amity some alone time together.</p><p> </p><p>“Whew... I think we lost her now,” said Luz, looking over at Amity... whose expression was a mix of hurt and anger. “Amity, what's wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“What's wrong is that you put us both in danger, buying that... that book!” shouted Amity. She tore it away from Luz and slammed it down onto the table, putting her finger in the air to trace a fire spell. “I've got no choice, I'm getting rid of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, wait...!” shouted Luz, watching as Amity prepared to burn the book.</p><p> </p><p>“I'll reimburse you for the shells-”</p><p> </p><p>“You think I care about the shells? Amity, I'm sorry...! You're right... you told me no but I still bought the book... I should've listened to you...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz's eyes were filling with tears as Amity stood with fire spell at the ready. She looked at Luz and her expression softened, but the hurt was still evident in her voice as she spoke.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, when I tell you not to do something for me, and it's because of the coven, you need to listen to me. For your sake <em>and </em>mine. If I got caught with this book, I'd get a slap on the wrist. If you got caught with it...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz could see what Amity was getting at, and felt even more guilt at worrying her girlfriend... but tried to reassure her.</p><p> </p><p>“But I told you, I'm willing to take those risks, just like you! You protect me, I protect you, that's what love is about, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“It's about more than saving each other, Luz... it's about not taking stupid risks in the first place so we don't <em>have </em>to.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz let out a long sigh. Amity was right, as usual... buying the book had been a stupid risk, trying to fight those kidnappers by herself had been a stupid risk, coming to save Eda and the twins from that monster had been a stupid risk... and the more stupid risks she took for herself, the more stupid risks she was taking for Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” said Luz, looking sad but accepting Amity's decision as she looked up at her girlfriend. “I'm sorry... do what you have to do.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity looked down at the book... and at the picture on the cover. It showed a beautiful elf woman, with pointed ears... a woman that looked a lot like her, or at least an older version of her. She reached down and flipped through the book to look at it one last time... another painting, of that same beautiful elf woman comforted by her human lover, a dark-skinned woman who looked a lot like an older Luz. She looked back up at Luz, and then at the book, and read the caption.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Mystical Rendezvous, </em><span>by Elaine LeClerque, 1958,” read Amity. </span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>According to the caption, this piece caused quite a stir when it was first painted,” said Luz, reading the text accompanying the picture. “The artist is from Biloxi, Mississippi...”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Is that a human place?” asked Amity.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Well, I didn't pay a whole lot of attention in eighth grade American history class, but 1958 in Mississippi wasn't a very... safe time and place to draw a woman romancing another woman, let alone with one of them looking like this,” said Luz, pointing to the dark skin on the depicted human. “The human world's got its problems too... honestly, probably way more problems than the Boiling Isles.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Amity continued to look at the picture, she slowly lowered her hand, dispelling the flame she'd been conjuring.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>It's... beautiful. She's... beautiful,” said Amity, tracing her hand along the page. “This is a beautiful book, Luz. ...and I think I'm going to keep it.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>You don't have to,” said Luz, reaching over and touching Amity's hand with hers. </span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>I know,” Amity replied, smiling as she closed the book and clenched Luz's hand. “C'mon... let's go catch those fireworks.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the two stood up, Luz looked over at Amity, her face still contorted with guilt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>Amity, I'm sorry... I won't take any more stupid risks, not if they could get you hurt.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Luz....” sighed Amity, shaking her head. “I know you. Taking stupid risks is part of who you are, and when I agreed to start dating you, that's what I signed up for. I won't tell you you shouldn't try to be more careful, but... don't go changing everything about who you are for my sake. I'm sorry I yelled at you.”</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Apology accepted,” replied Luz, leaning over and smooching Amity's cheek. </span></p><p> </p><p>The two girls went back to the midway, but as they did, Amity caught Lilith out of the corner of her eye, stumbling out of the alley leading to the Vomitron ride accompanied by her entourage of guards. They hid for just a moment, though Lilith no longer looked to be in any condition to chase down any criminals. She was clutching her stomach with a furious look on her face. As her guards attended to her, she snapped at all of them, but was interrupted in mid-rant by the contents of her stomach spewing out of her onto the grassy ground below. The two girls couldn't help but giggle as they watched the very undignified display, and though Amity felt a twinge of guilt at taking pleasure in seeing her beloved mentor throwing up all over the place, she knew Lilith had been through much worse and would be just fine.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I think it's time for you to go to bed, </em>
  <span>thought Amity, watching as Lilith cried out in frustration before trudging toward the exit of the fair with one of her guards patting her encouragingly on the shoulder. </span>
  <em>You've had a bit too much fun for one evening.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz and Amity managed to squeeze their way through the crowds to a choice spot near where the fireworks were being launched. The first of the fireworks soared up into the air, sending a loud shower of brilliant, colorful sparks into the sky.</p><p> </p><p>“This picture looks nothing like me!” shouted Tiny Nose, holding up a painting of a normal looking human woman with dyed blue hair, glasses, and lots of tattoos. She waved the painting around like a weapon, chasing the caricature artist around the midway, even as he tried to lose her in the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm glad we got to come here today,” said Luz, leaning tenderly on Amity's shoulder. “I'm glad I got to come here with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Same here,” Amity replied, one hand clutching her new book while the other hand clutched Luz's, holding on tightly. “This was the best night of my life.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz gasped softly, her expression softening into a grateful smile as a tear slid down her cheek. Amity nuzzled the tear away, and as more fireworks burst into the air above the young couple, she pressed her lips against Luz's, enjoying a warm, sweet kiss with the girl she loved.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I think it was the best night of mine too</em>
  <span>... thought Luz, closing her eyes as Amity's lips continued to press against her own.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. How Could I?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 5 – Comforting Each Other </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“How Could I?”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>The driving rain chilled Amity to the bone, but she kept running, as fast as her legs would carry her. Tears were streaking down her face, and her heart was beating wildly, as the wind and rain continued to punish her skin and soak her body. Her shoes kicked up clumps of mud from the soaked ground as she ran, and her loud sobs were silent against the loud thunder crashing overhead.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It's all my fault... all of it...!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity could see the forest off in the distance, the tall trees battered by the storm. She knew that once she entered the forest, there was no going back, and she couldn't help but look behind her... hoping there weren't any pursuers, not after what Edric and Emira had done to enable her escape.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>They're probably dead, and it's all because of me! All because I joined the Emperor's Coven... all because I trusted Lilith instead of the girl I love! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The Emperor's palace had to be at least two miles behind her by now. Amity had been running for half an hour, and her legs and chest were burning from exertion. She was sopping wet and nearly out of breath, and she could see lightning strike the ground just a few hundred feet away. She shrieked and pulled her cloak over her already rain-drenched head, hoping the next strike wouldn't fell one of the huge trees surrounding her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Luz will never forgive me. How could she, after everything I've done?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity looked all around for any sign of the rebellion's hideout... but if the Emperor and his trackers hadn't found it, what chance would she have?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What am I even doing? Running into the forest, making myself a target for the rebels? I'll never find Luz, and even if I did...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity remembered everything that had happened in the past few weeks. Her falling out with Luz, their breakup over Eda's capture and torture in the Conformatorium... the battle for Hexside, her attack on a rebel camp that had led to Willow and Gus both getting hurt... and of course, her duel with Luz when the rebels came to rescue Eda. Amity had fought with everything she had to keep Eda imprisoned... she'd wanted to impress Lilith, who'd already made her a full-fledged member of the Coven (the youngest ever, in fact). The words they'd exchanged, the spells they threw at each other... Luz's skills had improved dramatically, but she was still no match for Amity... who, despite her hesitation, her holding back, had won the duel...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I hurt Luz. That's unforgivable.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity could still see the look of betrayal on Luz's face as the bruised, burned girl fled from the Conformatorium... having successfully covered Eda's escape. Fortunately for Amity, Lilith forgave her for allowing such a defeat... but in the wake of the raid, the Emperor cracked down on the entire Boiling Isles. Entire settlements were burned, the Conformatorium was packed with new prisoners, and a shiny new prison tower was under construction... and in the wake of everything, Amity realized just how far Lilith and the coven were willing to go to establish their control.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Lilith kept telling me it was all necessary... the jailings, the burnings, the raids...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>And Amity had believed her. As shameful as she knew it to be, she believed every word that came out of Lilith's mouth.</p><p> </p><p>And now, stumbling through the forest, soaked with rain, shivering from the cold, and reeling from her siblings' act of sacrifice, Amity could run no longer. She found a single tree in the middle of a clearing and collapsed next to it, her weary legs barely able to stand, let alone run.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I'm sorry, Luz. I'm sorry, Eda. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I don't deserve forgiveness.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>But I'm still sorry.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity convulsed with sorrow, weeping until tears could no longer form in her eyes, replaced by the rain still battering her face.</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>The rebels had watched Amity from the moment she'd entered the forest. Through a looking portal, they tracked her every step, her every movement, and now that she'd collapsed and could no longer walk, she was a prime target for capture.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to bring her in, preferably unharmed,” said (former) Hexside Principal Bump, now one of the leaders of the rebellion against Emperor Bellows and his coven. “She was my best student, and even though she's done some terrible things, I don't want her to get hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>“No problem,” said a young wizard, stepping forward with a crew of five others. “We'll bring Amity back here and see what she knows about the Coven.”</p><p> </p><p>As the wizard squad prepared for their mission, Luz watched the looking portal, her eyes focused on her former friend. She watched as Amity continued to sob, the rain still drenching her, and though the scars of their recent battles were still fresh, she couldn't leave Amity alone out there... and couldn't let any of the rebels bring her in.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm going to Amity,” said Luz. “Alone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely not!” shouted Bump. “Out of the question, you're too important to the rebellion and there's no way you could possibly apprehend her on your own!”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not going to apprehend her,” said Luz. “I'm going to talk to her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whoa, Luz, I hate to say this.... honestly, I <em>really </em>hate to say this, I'm about to throw up in my mouth just thinking about saying it, but Principal Bump is... ugh... right. Luz, you've got no business going after Amity alone, remember what happened last time?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” said Luz, looking at her hand, on which a faint burn mark was still visible. “I remember.”</p><p> </p><p>“This could be a trap,” said Eda. “I mean, why would the Emperor's Coven send Amity out there by herself?”</p><p> </p><p>“It looks to me like she was running away,” Luz replied. “Like... she was defecting!”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds too good to be true, and if something sounds too good to be true, it's not true. Trust me, I know from experience.”</p><p> </p><p>“Even if it is a trap, I'm going!” said Luz, turning to Bump. “And I don't care what you or anybody has to say about it!”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, listen to me...” Eda put her hand on Luz's shoulder. “I know... I know it still hurts that Amity betrayed you and joined forces with the Emperor. I know you still want to see the good in her, just like I still want to see the good in my sister. But you saw what the Emperor's been doing.”</p><p> </p><p>“I... I know they hurt you, Eda. But Amity had nothing to do with-”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm fine, trust me,” said Eda with a smirk. “Living under the same roof with Lilith for eighteen years was way worse torture than anything those coven amateurs did to me. But still, Amity was all in on the Emperor's nonsense... this really does feel like a trap, kiddo.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I know that's what it seems like... </em>
  <span>thought Luz, as memories of Amity's acts since her betrayal flashed back through her mind. </span>
  <em>But I know Amity... even after all this, I KNOW Amity. This isn't a trap. She came here, risking capture or worse, for our help... and I'm going to help her!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Eda, I'm going,” said Luz. “You can try to stop me... and you're way stronger than me so you'll probably succeed, but I'm still going!”</p><p> </p><p>Eda looked at Luz for a moment, seeing the determination in her eyes, and seeing something more... the love she still had for Amity, even after everything that had happened. She knew Luz was putting herself in danger, but when she was this determined to do something, it was impossible to stop her... and she didn't want to try. She trusted Luz, and she trusted that Luz would be okay, no matter what happened. She still had her doubts, but she couldn't say no to this girl who'd become like a daughter to her in such a short amount of time.</p><p> </p><p>“Then I won't stop you,” said Eda, glaring at Bump and the other rebels gathered in the room. “And neither will any of you!”</p><p> </p><p>“But Edalyn-” Bump began, before Eda raised her hand and pointed at him.</p><p> </p><p>“No buts!” shouted Eda authoritatively, before looking down at Luz. “Go help her, Luz. If anyone can get Amity back on our side, it's you.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz smiled, and then wrapped her arms tightly around Eda. She put on her cloak and ran for the exit, hoping it wasn't too late to reach Amity. As she left, Eda looked on... heart full of worry, but also full of hope.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Maybe if it's not too late for Amity... it's not too late for Lilith, either.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luz dashed out into the storm, which had subsided somewhat since Amity's collapse but was still roaring, the wind howling and rain coming down at a steady pace. She ran through the forest, calling Amity's name but getting no answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>No... I hope she hasn't passed out, she could get hypothermia in this weather!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>But just as Luz began to fear the worst, she saw Amity, still sitting next to that tree, still sobbing softly.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity...?” Luz said quietly, walking toward her. Amity looked up and saw Luz, and immediately shrunk away in shame. “Amity...!”</p><p> </p><p>Luz ran toward her, as Amity buried her face into her shoulder and continued to shiver and sob. Luz approached her and knelt down. Her guard was down completely... though this might be a trap, her faith in Amity was steadfast, and she didn't hesitate to extend her hand. Amity looked at it and saw the small burn scar still there, and let out a loud gasp and a quiet sob.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz... I'm so sorry... you were right... you were right about everything... the coven... Lilith... Emperor Bellows...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz should've been feeling triumphant, but her heart was hurting for Amity, and this was no time for 'I told you so'. She should've been angry, but there wasn't an ounce of malice in her soul, and even as memories of Amity hurting her and her friends reverberated through her, she felt an overwhelming sense of forgiveness wash over her. She placed her hand on Amity's shoulder, her eyes wide with concern.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, it's okay...”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Luz, it's not okay!” snapped Amity, turning to face Luz with tear-swollen eyes. “It'll never be okay, not after what I did! I hurt you! I hurt Willow, and Gus, and Eda...! I hurt a lot of people!”</p><p> </p><p>“You didn't lead those capture squads. You didn't burn down those houses. You didn't torture Eda. That was the Emperor and his coven...”</p><p> </p><p>“But I <em>helped </em>them, Luz! I helped Lilith attack Hexside! I fought my friends! I fought <em>you</em>!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity tried to speak further, but was overwhelmed with grief, and fell toward Luz. In an instant, Luz held Amity tightly, letting the girl bury her face in her chest and sob freely.</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you leave?” asked Luz, lifting Amity's face up to look into her eyes. “I mean, something must've happened to make you defect from the Coven, right? What did Lilith do...? Or what did the Emperor do?”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sniffled, and Luz wiped a tear away from her face. She looked away from Luz, trying to compose herself enough to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“I saw the new spire they're building... it's worse than the Conformatorium. It's where they're taking people that the Conformatorium can't break. I saw them rounding up hundreds of villagers. I saw Lilith... interrogating one of the rebels. I'd never seen Lilith like that before, she was cold... cruel... emotionless. Even when she was at her most stern, she'd always have a bit of regret about what she was doing, but now, she... it's like she's a whole different person. I confronted her about it... I told her I couldn't accept what she was doing, and she....”</p><p> </p><p>“Did she hurt you?” asked Luz immediately after Amity paused. “Tell me Amity, did Lilith hurt you?”</p><p> </p><p>“No... Lilith would never hurt me,” said Amity. “That's the thing, she... said she admired my dedication. She said I was her favorite student and that she knew I was having doubts and that it was okay... I stood my ground with her, I told her I couldn't accept what she was doing, and she... she just smiled and said I'd come around, and that I reminded her of herself when she was my age! And then I went to my room and thought about it and... Luz, she's right... everything she said, she's right....!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sobbed again, and Luz held her even tighter, not saying anything, just listening to what Amity had to tell her.</p><p> </p><p>“If I had stayed in the Coven... I know I'd have turned out just like her... that's when I knew I had to leave. I'm ashamed it took this long, but I decided to leave... and that's when Lilith stopped me.”</p><p> </p><p>“And... what happened then?”</p><p> </p><p>“She said she was going to lock me in my room... for my own safety, but I insisted on leaving and tried to use a spell on her...!”</p><p> </p><p>“Good for you, Amity!”</p><p> </p><p>“I <em>hated </em>attacking her, I felt... I felt like I was attacking my own mother...! I'm still ashamed about it even though I know it was the right thing to do... it didn't work, of course... then she tried to use her powers to lift me up toward my room... and that's when... that's when....”</p><p> </p><p>Amity began to explain how Edric and Emira had come... they hadn't been part of the rebellion <em>or </em>the coven, and Lilith had only tolerated their presence because of their status as Blights... but when they saw Lilith trying to restrain Amity, they both attacked her at once and pushed her back.</p><p> </p><p>“They... they told me to go.... to get out while they kept Lilith busy... then... they... told me how proud of me they were.... and that... I... I was a better witch than both of them put together.... I.... I.... I....”</p><p> </p><p>Amity couldn't speak another word, and sobbed into Luz's chest again, her entire body heaving as she wept with all the grief and sadness that had built up inside of her. Luz held Amity as tightly as she could, stroking her hair softly with her hand and nuzzling her chin against her forehead.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, I forgive you,” said Luz quietly. Amity looked up at Luz in shock and disbelief, pushing away from her and scooting back toward the tree.</p><p> </p><p>“How could you forgive me, after everything I've done?!” screamed Amity. “I'm a monster! I helped the Emperor hurt thousands of people! I betrayed all my friends! I betrayed <em>you</em>, after I promised I'd never hurt you! Look at your hand, Luz!”</p><p> </p><p>“It'll heal, just a few days and-”</p><p> </p><p>“IT DOESN'T MATTER!” sobbed Amity, her face contorted in despair. “How could you ever forgive me? How could I even think about asking for forgiveness?!”</p><p> </p><p>“You didn't ask, but-”</p><p> </p><p>“I don't deserve-”</p><p> </p><p>“AMITY, STOP IT!” Luz shouted, grabbing Amity's shoulders and forcing the witch to look at her. “Stop interrupting me! Yes, you hurt me... you hurt me a lot... I loved you and you turned on me... but I know why you did it and I know that isn't you! Not the real you, not the kind, compassionate, brave Amity I fell in love with... the one who reads to kids, and fights to save her siblings, and tries her best to protect people... and that's why you joined the Coven, because you thought they were protecting people. You thought they were doing the right thing, and the second you realized they weren't, you left!”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz... I realized they weren't doing the right thing the moment they made me fight you,” said Amity. She'd calmed down from before, but her voice was still shaking with grief. “I hurt you, and I stayed.”</p><p> </p><p>“You stayed because you care about Lilith,” said Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” Amity replied. “I guess... I guess I thought you were fighting me because you cared about Eda...”</p><p> </p><p>“You thought this was going to happen and you were right,” said Luz, whose voice was now starting to shake as well. “I promised I wouldn't fight you... and I did. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” said Amity, in absolute disbelief. “Luz, no....!”</p><p> </p><p>“I should've tried harder to make you understand... I should've talked more instead of threatening you... or fighting you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You were trying to save Eda,” said Amity, taking Luz's hand in hers. “You did absolutely nothing wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>“I broke my promise.”</p><p> </p><p>As tears started to fall down the human girl's face, Amity realized that Luz felt just as bad about fighting her as she did about fighting Luz. She gripped Luz's hand tighter, reached up and wiped away one of her tears, and let Luz continue to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“I should've tried to pull you out of there instead of you having to break out... whatever happened to Ed and Em, it's on me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, don't ever blame yourself for what happened to them,” said Amity. “Besides... I think they'll be okay. Lilith wouldn't do anything too terrible to them... they're probably locked up in the Conformatorium... she'll probably use them to try and get me to come back, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.”</p><p> </p><p>“We'll save them, Amity. I promise we will, just like we'll save everyone else that's locked up.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sniffled again, and Luz continued to stroke and squeeze her hands, hoping that whatever guilt and grief Amity was feeling had subsided. Amity bowed her head slightly, and Luz could tell that it would take at least a little while longer for her to shake off the guilt.</p><p> </p><p>“They'll never take me back,” said Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Who?”</p><p> </p><p>“The rebels. Gus... and Willow. Just when I'd patched things up with her, all this happens... I still remember fighting her... she's never been that angry.”</p><p> </p><p>“I heard that entire rebel camp is one giant flower now,” said Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“With dozens of spiked vines the size of trees,” Amity replied. “I'm lucky I didn't get skewered... not that I wouldn't have deserved it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, don't be so down on yourself... just apologize to Willow like you did to me. Apologize to everyone... I mean, I can't speak for the others, but I know you're sincere and I think they'll see that. It might take some time for everyone to trust you, but I'll make sure nobody says anything bad to you in the meantime.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz... you have no idea what it means to me that you'd forgive me so quickly...” said Amity, looking back up into Luz's eyes. “The others... I know it'll take time with them, but knowing you forgive me, I think I'll be okay... at least as okay as I can be, considering everything that's happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, there's something else... I don't know if it's too soon to ask this, but... I'd like to be your girlfriend again, if you'd have me.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity looked surprised again, seeing so much love and warmth in Luz's eyes... seeing how unsure she was, even as she smiled longingly, and feeling how tightly Luz's hands were gripping hers now. The idea of resuming their relationship, as if nothing had ever happened... it seemed like a dream, and now that Luz had broached the idea, Amity felt unsure... not because she didn't want to be Luz's girlfriend, but because she didn't feel good enough for Luz... not yet, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“Even after... everything? After I hurt you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I still love you, and I know you still love me,” said Luz. “But if you're not okay with it, I understand. We can still be friends... I just hope one day you can forgive yourself like I forgive you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz...” whispered Amity, her entire body shivering from both the cold and from a sudden rush of joy and regret, both flooding into her mind. “I do still love you... but I'm scared I might hurt you again.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm not,” said Luz, smiling. “Do I look scared to you?”</p><p> </p><p>Amity choked back a sob, and didn't say anything else... she couldn't move, or think of anything else to say to Luz to discourage her from falling in love with her again. She wanted Luz so much... she wanted things to go back to the way they were... but every time she wanted it, she couldn't help but think back on what she'd done... couldn't help but worry that she was still a monster.</p><p> </p><p>Luz leaned in, looking into Amity's eyes, waiting for any sign that Amity might still be unsure. She leaned in further, until their lips were just an inch apart. She leaned in one more time... and as her lips touched Amity's, Amity finally leaned back in. Luz wrapped her arms around Amity, and Amity responded in kind, and the two held each other close, and Luz could feel Amity still weeping as they kissed and embraced, her fists clenched tight as her arms remained wrapped around Luz's back.</p><p> </p><p>“It's gonna be okay...” Luz whispered the second their lips parted. “I'm here and I always will be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Will you stop me if I ever try to turn again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I won't have to,” said Luz. “I know I won't have to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Promise me you'll stop me. Promise me-”</p><p> </p><p>Luz kissed Amity again, and Amity unclenched her hands and placed them on Luz's back, caressing it as she continued to sob, as both girls held each other and cried until the rain finally stopped and a soft breeze brushed past their soaked bodies. The kiss ended, and the two stayed there and held each other until the clouds parted and a sliver of moonlight hit them. They held each other close and let all the hate and fear and rage and despair leave them, and though Amity continued to replay her betrayal and all her terrible deeds within her mind, in Luz's arms, she felt like everything truly would be okay.</p><p> </p><p>And after several more minutes of sitting there by that tree, holding each other tightly, the two girls stood up and smiled, looking into each other's eyes and imagining, if only for a moment, that this terrible war was over.</p><p> </p><p>“C'mon,” said Luz, taking Amity's hand. “Let's go back to the rebel base.”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm sure they'll want to interrogate me,” said Amity. “I promise, I'll tell them everything.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don't have to tell anyone anything, not tonight. Or even tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“...they're going to be mad at me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I won't let them,” Luz reassured her, as the two walked back into the forest, back toward the rebel base... back toward home. “You're safe with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity smiled, and her hands gripped Luz's arm tightly. Luz leaned against her and nuzzled her. It was cold, and Amity was soaked, but Luz was warm, and it felt so good to be near her... she missed this feeling so much.</p><p> </p><p>There would be more tears... more battles, and more pain.</p><p> </p><p>But now, Amity and Luz would endure them together.</p><p> </p><p>And they would never be on opposite sides of the battlefield again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fantasy Check</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 6 – Reunion </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“Fantasy Check”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>Luz could feel her heart pounding as she stood on the doorstep of a crumbling old house, the same old house through which she'd entered a portal that had changed her life forever.</p><p> </p><p>It had been almost a year since she'd returned from the Boiling Isles... returned from the greatest adventure of her life, in which she'd met a wonderful and weird witch, explored a land beyond her wildest imagination, saved a realm from tyranny and war... and had found love with a girl named Amity, a girl she'd had to leave behind when it was finally time to come home.</p><p> </p><p>Since her return, a lot had happened... coming back to Earth was a wrenching transition, and for weeks, she'd had nights where she cried herself to sleep, missing the Boiling Isles so terribly. She knew her mom would never believe what had happened, or anyone else for that matter... especially since Eda and Lilith's spell had allowed Luz to go back in time to the moment before she'd been taken away from her world... so while she experienced an entire summer of adventure in the Boiling Isles, when she came back, she was standing at the bus stop, waiting to go to Camp Reality Check. Three months had passed there, but not a second had passed on Earth.</p><p> </p><p>Camp Reality Check had been... well, a <em>major </em>reality check for her, but it had been nothing compared to the lowest of the lows she'd experienced during the war. She'd experienced betrayal, strife, and despair, and helping to overthrow the Emperor (with the help of many, many friends, of course) had prepared her for anything. Then she had to endure her freshman year of high school, and was fortunate to find a few people as weird as her. Still, even her new friends would never have believed her amazing story... and now that it was summer again, she was, at least for a little while, returning to the only people who would believe her.</p><p> </p><p>She remembered Eda's words well: <em>Be at this exact same spot one year from when you left, and I'll come pick you up.</em></p><p> </p><p>She didn't have long to wait, or to worry. The door to the house began to glow, and Luz reached forward and grabbed the doorknob, her hand trembling.</p><p> </p><p>“Here I come, Eda. Here I come, Amity.”</p><p> </p><p>The door opened, and Luz passed through... and was now standing inside the Owl House, which looked just the same as it had always looked, save for a few new magical artifacts and potions strewn about.</p><p> </p><p>And sitting on the couch, Luz could see Eda waiting for her, smiling and holding her staff and looking as laid back as ever.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome home-” was all Eda could say before Luz wrapped her up in a tight, crushing hug. “Nnnngh! Missed you too kid...”</p><p> </p><p>“Eda... oh man, you wouldn't believe how happy I am to be back! I've missed all of you so much...! Hooty, that goes for you too!”</p><p> </p><p>“My favorite human, hoot hoot!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hooty, you only know <em>one </em>human,” said Luz, smirking.</p><p> </p><p>“I was trying to give you a compliment, sheesh!”</p><p> </p><p>“So where's King? Still ruling the underworld with an iron fist?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, and you know how busy he is,” said Eda, rolling her eyes. “I told him you'd be here today, but condemning the souls of the damned to their eternal punishments is tough work. I imagine he'll show up tonight, but I gotta warn you, when he does show up, all hell's gonna break loose. Literally.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can't wait!” said Luz excitedly. “Hey Eda... I know we've got a lot of catching up to do, and I've really missed you, but-”</p><p> </p><p>“Lemme guess, you wanna see Amity,” said Eda with a knowing smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“It's just... I kinda promised her I'd see her right when I came back, and that I wouldn't keep her waiting. I just need to go pick her up, and I'll bring her right back here, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, it's okay, take your time,” said Eda, playfully waving Luz away. “You two lovebirds go fly around for a while, I've got some stuff to get ready for you anyway. Besides, you keep her waiting too long with nothing to do and she'll spend the whole afternoon not getting into trouble.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz snickered, and gave Eda another tight hug.</p><p> </p><p>“I'll be right back!”</p><p> </p><p>From everything Eda knew about how close Luz and Amity had gotten right before Luz left, she knew that wouldn't be the case. Still, it gave her time to take another quick nap before getting things ready for Luz's surprise party, so as much as she missed Luz and wanted to catch up, she hoped the two would stay busy for quite a while.</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>Amity sat outside the steps of Blight Manor, shaking with excitement. It had been about thirty minutes after she was supposed to arrive in the Boiling Isles, and she'd headed straight home from Hexside (newly rebuilt after the war) to wait for her. As she sat there waiting, she heard two familiar voices, but before she could turn to greet them, a pair of hands covered her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Guess who!” cooed Emira, giggling as Amity squirmed around to push her hands away.</p><p> </p><p>“Em! Ed! Seriously!”</p><p> </p><p>“Aww, don't worry Mittens, we're not gonna ruin your alone time with your little girlfriend,” said Edric, snickering as he and Emira walked down the steps. “Actually, the two of us have somewhere to be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but tell Luz we said hi!” said Emira. “And tell her thanks again, if it wasn't for her we'd still be collecting bird poop outside the Emperor's palace.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know, I helped Luz turn you both back to normal!” said Amity. “And don't you <em>dare </em>forget it!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah yeah, like you haven't reminded us a couple dozen times already,” said Edric, rolling his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The two older Blight siblings laughed as they walked away from the manor and toward the town. Amity took a moment to remember all that had happened in the year since Luz had left... in the year since the rebels had won the war and had overthrown Emperor Bellows. Life had returned to normal, and in many ways, was better than ever without the boot of tyranny on the throats of the people... but even a year of peace and freedom meant nothing without Luz. Amity knew Luz had to go back home, but that didn't stop her from missing her girlfriend... every single day.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Wish you were here to enjoy the peace you helped bring to the Boiling Isles</em>
  <span>, thought Amity, looking around to see kids giggling and young couples laughing as they passed the manor gates. It was something that never would've been tolerated under the Emperor's rule, when the Blights were a family to be feared and respected. Amity and her family still had their money, but their privileged position in society was gone... not that Amity missed it very much. Her parents now had to get </span>
  <em>real </em>
  <span>jobs to maintain the family's wealth, but Amity couldn't care less: she'd always known there were more important things than money. Luz Noceda had just confirmed it. </span>
  <em>I've missed you so much.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Amity looked toward the manor gates again, and there she was, standing just outside them... dressed in her cat hoodie and looking as beautiful as ever.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz...” said Amity softly, walking over to the gate, then breaking into a run. “Luz!”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity...!”</p><p> </p><p>Luz pushed the unlocked gate open, and started running toward Amity. The two met and embraced each other, then leaned in and locked lips. The sensation of their kiss hadn't lost any luster for either of them in the year they'd been apart... if anything, absence had made their hearts grow fonder.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, I missed you... I missed everything and everyone here!”</p><p> </p><p>“I've missed you too, how have you been?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well... let me tell you...”</p><p> </p><p>Luz began to tell Amity exactly what had happened after she found herself back on Earth, starting with her trip to Camp Reality Check.</p><p> </p><p>“So you know that camp I told you about? I still had to go... and yeah, it was pretty lame. But... actually, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I thought it'd be an absolute nightmare, but the camp counselors were actually really nice... they really wanted to help me out, and even though they discouraged me from reading my books at camp, they were understanding and didn't judge me for what I liked either. They just, you know, wanted to make sure I had 'proper life skills' and stuff.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity giggled.</p><p> </p><p>“They sound like Lilith,” said Amity, as she and Luz began walking from the manor toward the street, holding hands as they had always done before Luz had left.</p><p> </p><p>“How is Lilith, by the way? I didn't ask Eda, I should have but I was too excited to come here and see you...”</p><p> </p><p>“Well... she's had it kind of rough. As head of the Emperor's Coven, she was obviously taken into custody after the war, but... we decided to give her a full pardon. Remember, she did help Eda take down Bellows, and she helped repair a lot of the damage she did, so we decided she'd be more useful on the outside than in jail.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what about you...? Did you... forgive her for turning Emira and Edric to stone?”</p><p> </p><p>“It took some time, but... we sat down and talked, and... yeah, I forgave her. Honestly, I don't think I'd have been able to do it on my own, but then I remembered how you forgave me for what I did, and I tried to imagine what you would do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, I'm proud of you,” said Luz warmly, smiling at her girlfriend and gripping her hand. “Are you two as close as you were before?”</p><p> </p><p>“We're getting there. She's teaching me magic again... and she's really mellowed out since reconciling with Eda. Those two had a <em>lot </em>to work through, but now they're really close again too. Well, I mean, about as close as I am with Ed and Em.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz giggled, knowing <em>exactly </em>what Amity meant by that, and also imagining that her two older siblings may have gotten some payback on Lilith for being turned into statues. The two girls made their way toward Bonesborough proper, and Luz, who'd been too busy running through town toward Amity's manor to notice before, could now see how nice the town looked after a year of peace. It was still as weird and scary as ever, but people were smiling more, and there were a lot more booths and displays that would've been banned the year before. People weren't afraid to be themselves and to show off their true colors, and the enormous variety of signs and banners and wares for sale was testament to this. Amity smiled at Luz as she admired the town, and gripped her hand again as if to say “this is all because of you”.</p><p> </p><p>“So Luz, you were telling me about that camp?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh yeah! They taught me lots of things, like how to perform CPR, and how to organize my room, and how to balance a checkbook...”</p><p> </p><p>“You know, that actually doesn't sound so bad,” said Amity with a smirk. “Sounds like they taught you some responsibility.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you <em>would</em> say that, wouldn't you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe if I ever visited Earth, I should check out this camp.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you'd have a lot of fun there talking about studying and responsibility and hard work,” said Luz, laughing as she rolled her eyes. “Then I went back to school... high school, I mean. It wasn't as fun as Hexside, but I managed to focus enough to get my grades up, and I didn't scare any of my teachers! Well, maybe one or two of my teachers, but not enough to get in trouble with the principal! I even got to take drama class, and they actually put up with my shenanigans there!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity couldn't help but smile as Luz explained high school and how much fun she'd had. She was glad that Luz was happy, even after leaving the Boiling Isles... and didn't feel so guilty anymore for having fun herself while Luz was gone.</p><p> </p><p>“I even made some friends, friends who like <em>The Good Witch Azura </em>and writing fan fiction and playing video games and staying up late into the night binge watching serialized cartoons! I still got bullied some, and it wasn't all unicorns and sunshine, but I managed to keep from going crazy, or looking crazy....”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm glad you found some people like you, Luz,” said Amity. “As for me, I went back to Hexside... after they rebuilt it, anyway. I was Top Student, of course... even though the coven system's been reformed so that everyone can use any kind of magic, there's still covens and tracks and things like that. I'm still on the abominations track, but now I'm learning some other types of magic too... so I can be as strong as Azura. Even though the Emperor's Coven has been disbanded, the Boiling Isles still needs witches who can protect it, and I'm going to work my hardest to be one of those witches and keep people from getting hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz loved to see the determination in Amity's eyes and to hear it in her voice, and was filled with a familiar warmth and pride that she hadn't felt since she'd fought alongside Amity during the war. Once she'd broken away from Lilith and the coven, Amity had fought more bravely than perhaps any other witch, determined to redeem herself and save the realm. The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she cast spells... Luz couldn't help but see Azura in Amity, and had fallen even deeper in love with her... a love that never faded, even with the passage of time. As the two entered the town square, Luz stopped for a moment and turned to face Amity, unable to hold back her feelings any longer.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity... even though I was meeting new friends and doing new things... I never forgot about you. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you... wishing you were there with me. I knew you'd be okay here without me, but I missed you... even though I knew I'd see you again, I'd count the days, wishing they'd get here faster. Wondering what you were doing... wishing I could see you sooner...”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sniffled as Luz bared her soul, and when she finished, she leaned in and kissed Luz tenderly on the lips again, gripping her hands tightly as a tear fell down her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Every day, I'd think about you, Luz. Remembering how bravely you fought to protect me, even though you didn't have my magic. Hoping you were happy, wherever you were... I... I even asked Eda to bring you back early!”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“I made it like, two months before I couldn't take it anymore and I asked her to bring you back! She told me no, and I got all upset...! I feel like a jerk about it now, but hearing about you being in that stupid camp, I wanted to, I dunno, bust in there and pull you out! I know it's stupid and reckless... like something <em>you </em>would've done...”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, probably!” said Luz with a giggle.</p><p> </p><p>“It wasn't the only time either,” said Amity with a sigh. “I don't know how Eda put up with all my whining.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aww, I know how,” said Luz, patting Amity on the cheek. “She knows how much you care about me! Besides, I'm pretty sure Eda likes you. After you came back to the rebellion, I'd hear her talking all the time about how powerful and strong you are, and how she's glad you were looking out for me. I hope you've been keeping her company!”</p><p> </p><p>“I mean, I try to visit her sometimes, but she's always doing weird stuff! Weird spells, or weird rituals... and she's always opening up portals to hell to talk to your demon king friend! I like Eda, but that stuff freaks me out!”</p><p> </p><p>Luz practically cackled as Amity shivered in fear recalling Eda's meetings with King.</p><p> </p><p>“Awww c'mon, King's harmless! I mean, not to wayward souls, or to small animals, but to you? Perfectly harmless!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I guess you're right,” said Amity, calming down and smiling. Luz always did have a way of reassuring her, and she'd learned to trust Luz's judgment, as crazy as that sometimes seemed.</p><p> </p><p>The two finally started walking again, making their way out of the town and toward the Owl House, which stood somewhat closer to town than it had been before the war. Eda was no longer a wanted criminal... in fact, she was now one of the Boiling Isles' greatest heroes, though she tended to scare admirers away whenever they crowded her too much, and by this time had learned to keep their distance.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry if I seemed a little bit... judgmental back there,” said Amity, blushing a bit. “I like Eda, but I still get weirded out at some of the stuff she does sometimes, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I'm glad you haven't completely changed,” replied Luz. “What you said before, about Camp Reality Check? I like that you're still hardworking and practical. I still have trouble keeping focused, even after all the boring stuff I learned at camp! Whenever I have trouble studying, or I procrastinate on a big test, I think about you and how you always buckle down and get stuff done, and it inspires me to do the same! I think you're the reason my grades went up so much last year, actually... I wanted to make you proud of me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” asked Amity, blushing again. “But... I'm not your mom, I don't look at your report card every semester and I certainly wouldn't ground you if you flunked out... but... I guess you're right, I am proud of you for succeeding.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity put her hand to her heart, feeling it start to beat a bit faster.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Imagine... me caring that much about how Luz does in her home world's studies. Imagine... her caring that much about how I think she does. Is our connection really that deep? I know I love her, but I think about her constantly, and she just told me she does the same. This isn't just about the Boiling Isles anymore... maybe... maybe we should take the next step. Am I ready for that, though?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Amity? Are you okay?” asked Luz, as the two stopped just before stepping on the road toward the Owl House. “I'm glad you're proud of me... I... I really like being able to impress you. The first time I impressed you with a spell, I've never felt prouder! Honestly, only my mom has that kind of effect on me... not that I'm comparing you to my mom or anything! It's just, you two are both really practical and focused, and-”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, I was just wondering,” Amity interrupted, taking Luz's hand. “Do you think, when you go back to your world, that I could come with you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Really...?” asked Luz, gripping Amity's hands tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“I want to see what your world's like. I want to meet your mom, and your friends... you'll be able to tell them about this place if they see that I'm real. ...would... that be okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity, I'd love to have you come visit Earth... more than you know, but I'm not sure,” said Luz. “Eda's never gone through the portal herself, she's only sent Owlbert through. She says it's possible that people from the Boiling Isles can go to Earth, but she's not sure if they can come back.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we sent giraffes through, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Giraffes don't have magic though,” said Luz, putting her finger to her chin. “I'll have to ask Eda if it'd be safe for you to go to my world. If you go, you might not ever be able to come back here.”</p><p> </p><p>“That's a risk I'm willing to take,” said Amity, though her hands were trembling as she imagined the prospect of never being able to come back to the Boiling Isles again... never being able to see her parents, or Edric and Emira, or Lilith, or Willow again... but she would have Luz, and, at least in this moment, believed that would be enough. “I just... I just want to see what your world's like. I want to spend more time with you than just a few weeks this time. I want to be able to visit you every day! ...if.... if that's okay with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you, I'd love to, but if you couldn't come back...” Luz lifted Amity's hands up to her lips, kissing them softly. “I love you, and I couldn't live with myself if I knew you were trapped on Earth because of me. I'd be there for you, always, but I know how much you'd miss this place, and every time I saw you sad, it would kill me.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity gripped Luz's hands and looked into her eyes. Tears were starting to fall down both girls' cheeks, and Amity felt like she was ready to explode, not wanting to hide the truth she was feeling any longer.</p><p> </p><p>“I've been sad for a whole year without you, Luz,” said Amity, pulling Luz's hands toward her face as she wiped a tear away. “Even with it being so good here now, even with Ed and Em being back to normal, and reconciling with Lilith, and everything that's happened... I've missed you every single day, and I don't want to be apart for this long again. Luz... let me take this chance, please. You've changed my life in so many ways, it would take me days to explain... I want more time with you than just these few weeks. I won't force you to take me back with you... but I just.... I just don't want you to feel bad about anything that happens to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Amity... you know I can't do that,” Luz replied, crying just as much as Amity was. “If something bad happened to you, I...”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I know, Luz, </em>
  <span>thought Amity, as the two girls smiled at each other through their tears. </span>
  <em>That's what love is.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz lost her words for a moment, and Amity took advantage, leaning in and sharing a fierce, passionate kiss with her, the most passionate kiss the two had ever shared. Their lips pressed tightly together, and the two embraced with all the strength they had, holding each other tight and not letting go.</p><p> </p><p>“I've missed you so much...” Luz whispered as soon as her lips were free.</p><p> </p><p>“Same here,” replied Amity, before kissing Luz again. The two shared one more kiss, nearly losing their breath before parting, and deciding that now wouldn't be the best time to discuss Amity's plans further. They took the last steps down the road toward the Owl House, and had their arms around each other as Luz reached for the doorknob.</p><p> </p><p>“It's going to be a surprise party, isn't it?” said Luz, a mischievous smile on her face as she looked over at Amity. Amity shrugged, shook her head, and had a 'don't look at me!' expression on her face as the door swung open.</p><p> </p><p>“SURPRISE! WELCOME BACK, LUZ!”</p><p> </p><p>All of Luz's old friends from the Boiling Isles were there. Willow, Gus, Edric, Emira, among so, so many others... Eda and Lilith were standing together in the center of the room, staffs glowing as they lit up the entire house with bright colors and decorations. And of course, King was there... he'd even changed back into the form Luz remembered him as most, that adorable little creature with the skull on his head, causing Luz to shriek with joy and run over to him, picking him up in a tight hug.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, I sentenced 11,000 immortal souls to eternal damnation today, do I look like a hugger?!” King shouted, making Luz just hug him even tighter.</p><p> </p><p><a id="tw-target-text" name="tw-target-text"></a>“<em>¿Quién es un pequeño demonio adorable? ¡Usted está! ¡Usted está!</em>” Luz cooed, nuzzling her cheek against King's and continuing to speak baby talk to him.</p><p> </p><p>“So, how many times did you guys make out on the way here?” asked Emira, pinching Amity's cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“I dunno, but good luck making out with Ichabod tomorrow night,” said Amity with a smirk, tracing a circle in the air and causing Emira's mouth to transform into a closed zipper.</p><p> </p><p>“...!!!!” Emira's eyes went wide with shock for a moment, then she smirked and traced her own spell circle, replacing Amity's top with a t-shirt that said “I (heart symbol) (Luz's face)”</p><p> </p><p>“What the...?” Amity barely had time to cover herself up before Luz noticed her new outfit and let out a loud squeal, running over to admire it. “Uh, Luz...!”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you make that shirt just for me?” asked Luz, smiling and blushing intensely. Amity looked over at Emira, who just gave her little sister a thumbs up before innocently walking away.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh... yeah, I did!” Amity fibbed, pulling Luz in close. “Welcome back, Luz.”</p><p> </p><p>“Here here!” shouted Eda, pulling Lilith in close and holding up a large beverage. “Luz is back, so let's all party!”</p><p> </p><p>Lilith, remembering how crazy Eda's parties got back in high school, could only smile nervously, hoping her sister had mellowed out over the last few decades (but strongly suspecting just the opposite).</p><p> </p><p>And as the party began, and as Luz caught up with everyone she'd missed over the past year, Amity worried less about coming back to Earth with Luz and more about having a good time... something Luz had taught her quite a lot about in the few short months they'd spent together. After a few hours, she didn't worry at all. Her love for Luz was as strong as ever, and Luz's love for her was just as strong. Time and space couldn't diminish that, and whether or not Amity could come back with Luz, she'd never stop loving her.</p><p> </p><p>And even as Luz spent time with all of her old friends... Willow, Gus, Hooty, King, and especially Eda, who she loved almost as much as her real mother... she stayed close to Amity, and enjoyed every second of time they had together.</p><p> </p><p>Amity had changed Luz for the better... in the most beautiful of ironies, a girl right out of Luz's perfect fantasy had enabled her to face reality. Their love had grown so strong that even when Amity wasn't there, she was... right there, every moment of Luz's life, and she always would be.</p><p> </p><p>And after the party died down, and everyone else went back home, Amity stayed at the Owl House with Luz, and even after Eda had said good night, Amity was still there, next to Luz on the couch, as the two leaned on each other and held each other's hand.</p><p> </p><p>“If you want to come back to Earth with me, I'll bring you,” said Luz, nuzzling Amity's face with her own. “I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“And if I can't ever come back home?”</p><p> </p><p>“If you want to come back here, I'll get you back. I prom-”</p><p> </p><p>Amity interrupted Luz with a kiss. After they parted, Luz sighed, smiling but also looking a bit guilty.</p><p> </p><p>“I know... don't make a promise I can't keep.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you can keep it,” said Amity. “You can do anything, Luz. That's why I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you believe in me...” replied Luz, before kissing Amity once more. <em>And that makes me the happiest girl in the world.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Two Witches, Two Worlds, One Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tales Of Light And Blight is being written as part of Lumity Week! This story, and all the other stories featured in this work, are part of an anthology, and unlike my other anthology stories, most of these are loosely connected to each other, with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 able to be enjoyed in sequential order. They're not, however, connected to any of my other Owl House stories. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <span>Day 7 – Future </span>
  </b>
  <span>
    <span>(“Two Witches, Two Worlds, One Heart”)</span>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>The streets of Bonesborough were normally a peaceful, albeit somewhat weird place... but on this particular day, as a gang of five club wielding trolls walked down the street, smashing booths and seizing treasures, those streets became a place of dread for the innocent citizens there.</p><p> </p><p>“Fear and tremble before the might of the Smasher Gang!” shouted the trolls' leader, a tall creature twice as tall as an adult human, with thick limbs and a club the size of a small tree trunk. “Give us all your gold and shells, and we won't smash you to pieces!”</p><p> </p><p>The trolls laughed, and weren't fazed when a young man attempted to fire a spell at them... the leader's thick skin repelled the magic, while the man soon found himself facing the entire gang, helpless before them.</p><p> </p><p>“So, you wish to be made an example of?” said the lead troll, raising his club.</p><p> </p><p>“No... no, please! I was just trying to... tickle you!” shouted the terrified man, falling to his knees and begging for his life.</p><p> </p><p>“Well then, allow me to tickle you!” shouted the leader, laughing as he began to bring his club down. Suddenly, he found his wrists trapped by a thick cord made of glowing magic, stopping him in mid-swing. He looked behind him to see a tall woman with long, flowing light green hair and brown roots, wearing a white cloak and wielding a large staff. “Who are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I am Amity Blight-Noceda, leader of the Sisters' Coven and defender of the Boiling Isles,” said the woman, in a proud, confident voice. “Drop your weapon and surrender, or face the coven's wrath!”</p><p> </p><p>“You must be joking!” shouted the leader, though he looked clearly distressed as he attempted to break free of the cord that Amity was projecting from her staff. “Release me or die!”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh... uh, Grunk?” said one of the other trolls, nervously pointing at Amity. “She's... a really powerful witch, maybe we should-”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop cowering! She's just a witch, we're trolls, we're bigger and we outnumber her!” the leader bellowed, finally freeing his wrists from Amity's spell. “Crush her!”</p><p> </p><p>“Big mistake,” said Amity, projecting another spell from her staff as the four trolls reluctantly charged at her. With a single wave, she blasted them with a burst of magical energy, knocking all of them down. Then, she slammed her staff into the ground, causing the ground to liquefy around them and forcing them to sink before re-hardening, trapping them all in a squirming, writhing mass of solid earth.</p><p> </p><p>“You little...!”</p><p> </p><p>Grunk ran toward Amity at full speed, using his club to swat away her energy spells, then swinging it down toward her. She leapt away with an athletic somersault, before swinging her staff at him again, generating several more energy cords in an attempt to bind him. Grunk roared as he was briefly tangled, but used his sheer strength to snap them all.</p><p> </p><p>“Stronger than the average troll...” Amity mused to herself. She started to conjure up another spell, but stopped when she saw someone running up behind Grunk. “You're late.”</p><p> </p><p>Another woman, clad in a purple cloak with a cat-ear hood, was running up to Grunk as fast as her long, thin legs would carry her. Her long, black hair was tied in a ponytail behind her head, and she wore a belt with several pockets that looked like they held decks of cards.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, I was teaching somebody how to use a Playstation! He thought you had to rip off the entire top half of the system to play games!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Luz, I've almost got these trolls beat, so-”</p><p> </p><p>“The hell you do!” shouted Grunk, stomping the ground near Amity. The force of the stomp came as a bit of a surprise, and Amity was knocked off her feet, falling to one knee. Grunk laughed, and raised his club. “Time to smash a little witch!”</p><p> </p><p>“I don't think so!” shouted Luz, pulling a card from her belt and slamming it down onto the top of her hand before flicking it toward the troll at incredible speed. The card transformed into a burst of electricity that hit the troll and shocked him, forcing him to stumble away from Amity and toward Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“I'll get you!” the troll cried, recovering quickly from the shock, only to be hit by two more cards. The first one turned into ice that froze his legs together, while the second slammed into his club, turning it into syrup and causing it to fall all over his head and arms. “Aaaaaaagh!”</p><p> </p><p>As Grunk began falling to the ground, knocked off balance by both spells, Luz pulled out a staff of her own and used it to pole-vault over his head, landing next to Amity as Grunk hit the dirt, falling hard on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry I didn't come more quickly,” said Luz, reaching down to help Amity up.</p><p> </p><p>“It's okay... it's our job to help people in any way we can, whether it's by beating up trolls or helping them fix their human world junk,” replied Amity with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, the original Playstation is not junk! You can play three different <em>Final Fantasy </em>games on it, plus <em>Tactics!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I don't even play your new PS6,” said Amity, rolling her eyes but still smiling as she admired the job she and her wife had done. Grunk's four subordinates were still trapped, while Grunk himself lay groaning in pain on the ground. The moment he tried to move, Amity gave him a quick zap with her wand, rendering him unconscious. “And the Sisters' Coven is victorious once again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yay!” shouted Luz excitedly, hugging Amity tightly. “Looks like Bonesborough is safe, which means we can go visit my mom now, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm pretty sure, let me check...” said Amity, pulling out a scroll. She quickly scanned the Boiling Isles' scroll network for any more signs of trouble, but they'd cleaned up the town, at least for one day, and any little fires that popped up could be taken care of by the other coven members. “Looks like we're good to go.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz pulled one more card from her belt and threw it at the five trolls. It transformed into a small portal that engulfed them quickly, causing all of them to disappear. They'd reappear in the Boiling Isles' prison facility, where all of the criminals, miscreants, and would-be usurpers that the Sisters' Coven took care of ended up. The Sisters' Coven was named after the sisters Eda and Lilith, and was dedicated to, in their own words: “Protecting the Boiling Isles, and having fun while doing it!” Amity was the leader, and her wife Luz was the co-leader, though Luz tended to defer to Amity on most coven decisions.</p><p> </p><p>It had been ten years since the day Luz had first ended up on the Boiling Isles, and in that decade since, so many things had happened. Life on the Boiling Isles had changed forever: Luz had had an indelible influence on the world and its people. Human “trash” had become valuable treasure, with some human inventions even becoming popular on the Boiling Isles itself. Though human tourism was strictly controlled (limited to people Luz and Gus trusted), small numbers of humans had visited the Boiling Isles, and some were even spending days at a time there.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, Luz's life had changed as well. Her fateful meeting with Eda had introduced her to the Boiling Isles and its creatures, and her meeting with Amity had introduced her to the woman she would eventually marry. The two waited until they'd graduated college, but finally, in Luz's senior year, she'd proposed, and Amity had said yes. It was the first marriage between citizens of two different worlds, though the political and sociological implications of the relationship ensured that it probably wouldn't be the last, as people from the human world and the magical world began to venture back and forth with increasing frequency.</p><p> </p><p>“You ready?” asked Luz. The two witches were now on the outskirts of town, and Luz was pointing her staff at a tree.</p><p> </p><p>“I always am,” replied Amity, who had now visited Luz's world hundreds of times before, so much that it was completely routine for her. “Hope traffic's not too bad today.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz cast the spell, and a portal appeared in the tree. The two walked through it, and emerged in the front yard of a suburban home, next to a driveway where a 2027 Porsche Taycan was parked. Amity pulled a key-fob from her cloak and started the car, and she and Luz climbed in.</p><p> </p><p>“Think we should change out of these cloaks first?” asked Amity, lifting her cloak up to her nose and sniffing it.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, that fight was easy, we didn't even break a sweat!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, it's just embarrassing remembering that one time we visited your mom all covered in giant saltgrub guts,” said Amity self-consciously, pulling the car out of the driveway and into the street. “Google, play Prog Rock Mix #2.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz knew that Amity was a quick learner, and quite possibly the smartest person she'd ever met, but she still couldn't help but marvel at how well her wife had adapted to Earth's technology in such a short time. Amity had taken to Earth and its culture as quickly as Luz had taken to the Boiling Isles, and though she still preferred the place of her birth, she felt almost at home on Earth as she did in the halls of Blight Manor, or in the small house in Bonesborough where she and Luz lived.</p><p> </p><p>“Geez, Amity, I learned to drive five years before you did and you're a way better driver than me!” said Luz, giggling to herself as the opening notes of Yes' <em>Roundabout </em>began to play inside the car.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you'd be a lot better at driving if you'd keep your eyes on the road,” replied Amity, scolding Luz as lovingly as she could. “You're driving a three thousand pound death machine, you can't get distracted by cute animals running in people's yards, or a billboard for the latest season of <em>The Good Witch Azura</em>...</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but Azura and Hecate looked so cool...”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sighed and smiled, remembering binge-watching the most recent season with Luz, snuggled up on the couch at Camilla's house with popcorn and candy and pointing out all the changes they made from the book, for better or for worse. Even though Luz had indeed grown more mature and focused in the last ten years, she was in a lot of ways still the same kindhearted, imaginative, easily distracted girl Amity had fallen in love with... and she wouldn't have it any other way.</p><p> </p><p>“Oooh!” shouted Luz suddenly, as a quiet guitar part started to play in the song, followed by a loud stream of bass notes. “This is the meme song!”</p><p> </p><p>“What...?”</p><p> </p><p>“The meme song, the 'to be continued' meme!” Luz squealed excitedly.</p><p> </p><p>“This song is a meme?” Amity replied quizzically, her eyebrow raised.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I need to show you! It's kind of an old meme, but it's really funny!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I'll be the roundabout</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The words will make you out 'n out</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“<span>This song has lyrics?” said Luz, raising an eyebrow of her own. Amity just giggled.</span></p><p> </p><p>“<span>Google, turn it up.”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I spend the day your way</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Call it morning driving through the sound</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>And in and out the valley</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“This song's old, isn't it?” asked Luz, though she wasn't exactly hating it.</p><p> </p><p>“Almost sixty years old,” Amity replied. “Actually, I love this kind of music, it reminds me of home. Epic lyrics about magic, flights of fantasy, clashes between good and evil... I think you humans must've visited the Boiling Isles when you came up with prog rock. I'm surprised you don't listen to this kind of music, Luz!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I've heard stuff like it in video games, but I kinda thought old music was lame...”</p><p> </p><p>“I'll share some of my favorites with you when we get back home,” said Amity, smiling. “In the meantime, listen to more of this and see if you like it.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz was glad Amity had taken such a shine to the human world... the first time she visited, Luz was worried she wouldn't be able to get back, but after visiting for a week, the spell to bring her back home worked exactly as intended, and Amity was able to return... then a week later, she came back for another visit... and another, and another, and another, learning more about Luz's life and about the human world every time she came. The human world was as much of an adventure for Amity as the Boiling Isles had been for Luz, but eventually, it felt like home to her...</p><p> </p><p>“Robbery in progress, Flores National Bank, two armed individuals, maybe hostages.”</p><p> </p><p>The police scanner tucked inside the car interrupted the sounds of Yes. It diverted the young women's attention, though Amity kept her eyes on the road as the car's GPS indicated that it was passing within a half mile of the bank.</p><p> </p><p>“Do we have time?” asked Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“We always have time to help people,” replied Luz, patting the belt at her side. “In any world.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity nodded, and turned onto a nearby street. A few minutes later, the car pulled into the back of the bank's parking out. Outside, the police were waiting, but upon seeing the two cloaked witches emerge from the car, they looked at them in an almost deferential way. One of the officers, the leader of the squad engaging the bank robbers, walked over to Amity and Luz as they stepped out of the car.</p><p> </p><p>“We've got a pretty good handle on this, but it <em>is </em>a touchy situation, so we could probably use the help. Two robbers, three hostages. The robbers have high powered rifles.”</p><p> </p><p>“We've dealt with that before, no worries,” said Amity, turning to Luz. “You're good to go?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz nodded, while the police officer radioed his superior.</p><p> </p><p>“The witches are here... we're letting them handle this one. Yes, the Blight-Nocedas. We didn't ask them this time, they volunteered. Right. No one's getting hurt today.”</p><p> </p><p>The two stepped into the bank, confident but careful. Inside were two tellers and a customer, kneeling on the ground, next to two masked and heavily armed robbers. The robbers saw the witches and immediately trained their guns on the hostages.</p><p> </p><p>“Stand down, freaks! We know who you are! Stand down or they're dead!”</p><p> </p><p>“Calm down,” said Amity, raising both hands. “We won't hurt you if you surrender.”</p><p> </p><p>“We won't hurt them if <em>you </em>surrender!” shouted one of the robbers, who had an eye on Luz. “We watch the news! We know about your cards! You make one move toward that belt and we'll shoot 'em!”</p><p> </p><p>“Heeeey, let's all just relax, okay?” said Luz, smiling as she too put her hands up in the air.</p><p> </p><p>“Heh, Luz says 'relax',” said the robber, raising his gun and pointing it at Luz. “I'm relaxed. I'm relaxed. I'm-”</p><p> </p><p>He pulled the trigger, sending bullets flying directly at Luz's head. They slammed into an invisible barrier about six inches from her face, and disintegrated immediately. As the other robber moved to shoot the hostages, Luz threw one of her cards at him, causing a bunch of metal wires to wrap around his arms and legs, forcing him to drop the gun and fall to the ground. The other robber moved to shoot at Amity, but Amity pointed her staff at him, and he found himself encased in bandages from neck to toe, dropping him to the ground alongside his partner. The two robbers had been defeated quickly and cleanly, and Luz and Amity walked over to check on the hostages, making sure they weren't wounded (and ready to heal them if they had been).</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, thank you!” shouted the grateful bank teller. “We thought we were goners, how did you know to show up?”</p><p> </p><p>“We try our best,” said Luz with a smile. “Is everyone okay?”</p><p> </p><p>The hostages were shaken but fine, and were escorted out of the bank by Luz and Amity, while the cops moved in to arrest the restrained robbers. The squad leader stayed outside to thank the two, congratulating them on a job well done.</p><p> </p><p>“It's crazy how you two can resolve situations like this without anyone ever getting hurt,” said the officer. “I gotta be honest, if I had powers like yours, I'd be tempted to use them to win the lottery or something... though I guess from the looks of your car, maybe you did?”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity's family is rich,” giggled Luz, prompting a glare from her wife.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz!” scolded Amity. “What have I told you about bragging about my money to strangers?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, as far as I'm concerned, I don't care how ya got that thing. I still remember what you guys did in Los Angeles, that was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I was skeptical about two people using magic powers like they were some kinda superheroes or something, but an 8.2 earthquake hits Los Angeles and not a single person got killed or badly hurt? Seein' you two hold up all those buildings and save all those people?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we did have help from Eda and Lilith and Willow and-” Luz began before being cut off.</p><p> </p><p>“I don't care if you had help from Mickey Mouse, that was amazing. And then you two go around saving more people? Asking nothing in return, putting yourselves in danger? You two are heroes, don't ever forget it. Thanks again for your help today.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz and Amity checked on the hostages one last time, then returned to their car. As they did, the officers' words reminded them of that day three years ago... humans knew about witches and magic before then, as Eda and Amity had both visited Earth multiple times before, but it was on that day, August 23, 2027, that the human world learned about the Boiling Isles and witches and magic... and how it had the potential to save everyone. A terrible earthquake had struck, the biggest in California in more than two hundred years... it had been good fortune that Eda and Lilith had both been visiting the human world to celebrate Luz and Amity's engagement. At the moment the quake struck, the two cast a powerful time freezing spell, and held it as long as they could, long enough for Luz and Amity to go to the Boiling Isles and get the entire Sisters' Coven positioned around the city. In the seconds after the quake, as buildings collapsed and fires raged, something incredible happened... every single person in mortal danger had been pulled out of the fire, rescued from the collapsed buildings and crashed cars... and in the aftermath of the horrible disaster, a miracle: no deaths, no serious injuries... and a world that now knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that magic was real.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, none of that would've been possible had Luz and Amity not found the magic in the human world to begin with... that story, which began with Amity's first visit to the human world, and stretched out across nearly two years, up to Luz's first day in college, was perhaps the couple's greatest adventure, and a story they would surely tell their children someday... but they didn't want to spend too long reminiscing today. After all, Luz's mom was still waiting for them.</p><p> </p><p>“Hopefully no more interruptions,” said Amity as she started the car.</p><p> </p><p>“Aww, you know you love saving people, don't act like you don't.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I love saving people... I've wanted to be a hero ever since I first read <em>The Good Witch Azura</em>... I just never imagined I <em>could </em>be one until I met you.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity leaned over and kissed Luz on the lips, grateful to her wife for the gift she'd been given. Luz returned the kiss, caressing Amity's cheek with her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“You've always been a hero, Amity,” said Luz. “You've been my hero ever since I saw you reading to those kids.”</p><p> </p><p>“You still remember that?”</p><p> </p><p>“How could I forget? It was our very first adventure.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity sighed, almost shedding a tear that Luz still remembered that day. She'd certainly never forgotten it, or the promise she made to be a friendlier witch. She knew she'd fulfilled that promise and then some... but she still hoped she was making Luz proud, each and every day they were together.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, Luz.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you too, Amity...”</p><p> </p><p>The car pulled out of the bank's parking lot, and drove the short distance to the hospital where Luz's mother worked as a nurse. Luz and Amity climbed out and made their way into the lobby, where a large crowd was watching a news report about the foiling of the bank robbery.</p><p> </p><p>“It's still breaking news when we save people?” asked Amity, her hand on her hip.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it is!” said Luz, proudly watching the screen.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but what is it, like the 117<sup>th</sup> time now?”</p><p> </p><p>“135<sup>th</sup>!”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz!” called Camilia's familiar voice from across the lobby. Nearly everyone turned to the back of the lobby, and Luz and Amity found themselves mobbed by admirers. “Out of my way, it's my daughter... move, move!”</p><p> </p><p>Somehow, Luz's mother fought her way through the crowd and ran up to her, wrapping her daughter up in a tight hug. Amity smiled warmly at the emotional display, signing a couple of autographs for children before addressing her mother-in-law.</p><p> </p><p>“Good afternoon, mom,” greeted Amity politely. “We ran into a bit of trouble on the way here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, did you drag Amity into another adventure? I hope you didn't get her hurt!”</p><p> </p><p>“Aw, c'mon mom, she's the one who protected me!”</p><p> </p><p>“That's what I'm worried about!”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm fine, we're fine, we're always fine,” said Amity, reassuring Luz's mother that she was still taking good care of Luz. “How have you been?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, it's not been too bad here,” said Camilia.</p><p> </p><p>“Is there anyone who needs healing in the trauma ward?” asked Amity.</p><p> </p><p>“Not today, not today... and be careful saying that, you know people started taking really stupid risks after learning there were witches going around saving people.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz and Amity knew that well, and it's why there were still doctors and nurses and hospitals in the human world at all. Witches might be able to protect everyone during one natural disaster, but there weren't a lot of witches, and they couldn't be everywhere. Plus, they all still lived in the Boiling Isles, and couldn't be reasonably expected to move to the human world just to help people there. Luz and Amity tried healing who they could, and had saved a lot of lives, but they couldn't cure cancer, or brain damage, or even most spinal injuries, and they didn't have enough time or magical energy to help every injured person in the world. After the “miracle of Los Angeles”, there had been a surge in accidents and illnesses, as many humans became reckless, thinking witches and magic would save them. Fortunately, most people had gotten over those initial impulses, and humanity had pretty much accepted that there were only two witches who frequented the human world and they couldn't go around helping people all the time. Maybe someday magic could fix all of humanity's problems, but that day was still a very long way away.</p><p> </p><p>“Humans gonna human, I guess,” said Luz, rolling her eyes. “But still, we'll help whoever we can.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you will, my darling little angel,” said Camilia, kissing her daughter on the cheek.</p><p> </p><p>“Mom, I'm 24 now, not so little anymore...”</p><p> </p><p>“You'll always be my little angel,” said Camilia, who then gave Amity a tight hug. “And you're my angel's guardian angel.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity blushed, having grown quite attached to Camilia after first meeting her. Though their initial meeting had been quite a shocking one, with the nurse literally fainting after Amity demonstrated magic to her, she'd eventually come to accept that yes, everything Luz told her about the Boiling Isles was real, and yes, Amity was really a witch. Luz then told her mother that she was bisexual and that she was in love with Amity, and she'd been extremely accepting of it, far more accepting than Luz had expected. Amity and Camilia actually had a lot in common: they were both hard working, practical, honest, and quite headstrong, and once Camilia had gotten over the initial shock of Amity being a witch, she decided that Amity was exactly the kind of girl she wanted her daughter to be dating. Amity promised to make Luz study and to keep her focused, and that was all the convincing Camilia needed.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm sure there'll be more adventures for us, but today, Luz just wanted to spend time with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I've always got time for Luz... I'll go clock out for lunch and then we'll find a nice restaurant. I'll pick up the check!”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely not-” Amity began, before Camilia glared at her. “Okay, you'll pick up the check!”</p><p> </p><p>“Your money's no good here,” giggled Luz.</p><p> </p><p>“It should be, it's hard enough finding a place in the Boiling Isles that takes shells for gold, then I have to sell the gold here on Earth... do you know how much running around I had to do to be able to afford our car?”</p><p> </p><p>“Coulda got a Camry...” said Luz, prompting Amity to sigh.</p><p> </p><p>The three had a nice lunch together, talking about Luz and Amity's recent adventures in the Boiling Isles, and catching up on everything that had been happening with Luz's family on Earth. Luz planned to visit her friends in a couple days, but today's trip was just a short one, and after returning with Camilia to the hospital, the couple decided that it was time to make their way back to their home in the other world.</p><p> </p><p>“We'll visit again next week, mom,” said Luz, hugging her mother tightly. “You know how to get a hold of us if you need us sooner!”</p><p> </p><p>“Still can't believe your phone gets reception there,” said Camilia.</p><p> </p><p>“Even better reception now that the first cell towers are going up!” Luz replied. “We're finally converting the old prison spire into one!”</p><p> </p><p>“I'll have to visit again to see it,” said Camilia with a smile. She gave Luz one last kiss on the cheek and gave Amity one last hug, before the two left the hospital and drove back to the forest to make their way home. <em>You've changed that world so much, Luz... you've made your fantasy into reality. I'm sorry I didn't support you before, but you know you have my support now... and I always loved you and always will.</em></p><p> </p><p>The Porsche pulled up into the driveway of Camilla's house, and Luz and Amity stepped out and made their way to the tree. A portal later, and they were back on the Boiling Isles... with a full day of adventures still ahead of them.</p><p> </p><p>“That was really fun,” said Luz, smiling as she and Amity got out of the car. “Seeing mom, saving those people, kicking bad guy butt... and it's barely even noon!”</p><p> </p><p>“Every day's an adventure with you, Luz,” replied Amity. “So, what's next?”</p><p> </p><p>“Wanna go check on Gus and see how his Human Relations class is going? I heard he's gonna oversee the conversion of the prison spire into that cell phone tower.”</p><p> </p><p>“They'll love seeing you again,” said Amity. “I think I'll pop in on Willow's class, let her try out some plant magic on me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful, remember last time? The dizzy daisies?”</p><p> </p><p>“That was <em>not </em>the dizzy daisies, I had too much wine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Only Amity would rather say she got drunk than admit she got zonked out by somebody's spell!” snickered Luz, playfully nudging her wife.</p><p> </p><p>“I did not get zonked out, the warding spell worked perfectly!”</p><p> </p><p>“Or, you know, you could just say you <em>let </em>Willow's spell get through.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did! I did! That's exactly what happened, I let my guard down on purpose!”</p><p> </p><p>Luz teased Amity the entire walk to Hexside... something she enjoyed doing even when the two were students there, and something neither of them ever imagined they'd get tired of.</p><p> </p><p>O-O-O</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, Eda, you install the app by going to the store and clicking on it, you don't install the app by threatening to turn the phone into a lobster!”</p><p> </p><p>“Go to the store? So the problem is I'm at my house?”</p><p> </p><p>“The store on the phone, Eda!”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz, she's had that phone of hers for five years, if she doesn't understand it now, she never will,” said Amity.</p><p> </p><p>It was late that night, and Luz and Amity were now in bed together, Luz dressed in a tanktop and pajama pants with kittens on them, and Amity dressed in a pink nightgown. Luz was talking to Eda on her cell phone, while Amity was checking her scrolls for Penstagram updates and news stories.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I know how to talk on this stupid thing at least!” shouted Eda on the other end of the phone.</p><p> </p><p>“You only just now learned to do that,” said Amity, leaning over Luz's shoulder so that she could talk to Eda.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you're as bad as Lilith!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hehe, I don't think Lilith knows how to use a phone at all,” giggled Luz, prompting Amity to put a hand over her mouth, which didn't stop Luz from laughing.</p><p> </p><p>“Well could you teach her?” asked Eda. “I want to send her some of these prank apps Luz taught me about, like the one that makes fart noises at random intervals, or the one that signs her up for junk mail and the Stinky Cheese of the Month Club.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz continued to laugh, despite Amity's hand still covering up her lips, and Amity sighed and lowered it, scolding Luz at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>“Phone pranks? Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, the fart app was Edric's idea,” said Luz, still snickering slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“At least Em doesn't do that kinda stuff anymore,” Amity replied, rolling her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Aw, don't act like you don't love my pranks,” said Luz. “I make you laugh... I love making you laugh.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity blushed fiercely, and Luz turned around and began tickling her tummy. As Amity's laughter echoed through the room, Eda's groans could be heard on the other end.</p><p> </p><p>“Should I hang up? Are you two finally getting ready to make me a grandma?”</p><p> </p><p>“EDA!” Luz and Amity both shouted, prompting a loud cackle from the other end of the phone.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you know if you need help with that, I've got a spell...”</p><p> </p><p>“I'm hanging up now,” said Luz, now blushing as brightly as Amity was. “...love you Eda.”</p><p> </p><p>“Love you too, Luz,” said Eda warmly. “See you at the Owl House first thing tomorrow, I've got a tip on a dangerous quest that I'm sure'll keep you busy most of the day. ...and also breakfast.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz set down her phone, and Amity put away her scrolls, and the two held each other close, enjoying each other's company after a typical day of adventuring across two worlds.</p><p> </p><p>“Today was fun,” said Luz, nuzzling Amity's forehead with her own.</p><p> </p><p>“It always is,” Amity replied, smiling and smooching her wife on the lips. “We're still a couple years away from being ready for a kid, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“A couple years, huh? I figured at least four... can't be too soon or they'll end up being more mature than me, especially if they take after you!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity laughed and nuzzled Luz again. She was ready to wait for kids as long as Luz wanted to... she didn't even need to have kids at all. There were already so many kids who looked up to both of them, and though she had room in her heart for so many people, right now, all she really wanted to do was love Luz as much as she possibly could... as much as Luz loved her.</p><p> </p><p>“Goodnight, Luz... I'm sure I'll see you in my dreams.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you so sure this isn't a dream? After all, it's absolutely perfect... what if I wake up and you're not here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Then I'll find you,” said Amity, kissing Luz softly on the lips once more. “I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, Amity.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, Luz.”</p><p> </p><p>The two pulled up the covers, snuggling together and enjoying the warmth of each other's company. It had been a fun day, and they were tired, and ready to sleep. In a world of adventure, danger, and peril, in a world where their heroic deeds were already becoming legend, they felt completely safe in each other's arms, and always would. They'd been through so much, and had so much time left to go. The past had been an adventure, and the future was as bright as it had ever been.</p><p> </p><p>Two witches from two different worlds, sharing one heart.</p><p> </p><p>Light and blight, Luz and Amity.</p><p> </p><p>Together forever.</p><p> </p><p>And ever and beyond.</p>
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